


Setting The World On Fire

by kiatina



Series: Kiatina's Dragon AU [3]
Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dragons, Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, Conspiracy, Dragons, Every magical creature is accepted as real except dragons, Government Conspiracy, M/M, Mahoutokoro (Harry Potter)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-03
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:28:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 22
Words: 83,652
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26152678
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kiatina/pseuds/kiatina
Summary: Victor and Yuuri call on their friends worldwide to help set the groundwork for their plot to expose the existence of dragons and the Ministry's role in it all. In addition to this monstrous undertaking, the couple is learning to balance life at Mahoutokoro and raising four young dragons.
Relationships: Katsuki Yuuri/Victor Nikiforov
Series: Kiatina's Dragon AU [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1857667
Comments: 149
Kudos: 98





	1. September 2010 – Mahoutokoro School Year

**Author's Note:**

  * For [FoxHunt42](https://archiveofourown.org/users/FoxHunt42/gifts).

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The school year has begun and Yuuri survived the first week of classes. Victor is still completely dazzled by the beautiful school and eager for Yuuri to show him around.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back! Thanks for your patience, I really needed that break. I got plenty of rest and am ready to dive back in! I know I normally post on Thursday but I was too excited to wait so I'm a few hours early lol 
> 
> So, we begin by getting a glimpse of our favorite wizards adjusting to life at Mahoutokoro.

Yuuri had just dismissed his last class of the day and was tidying up his desk. His first week at Mahoutokoro was over and he had managed to survive. He had students in years one through five, their ages being seven through twelve, relatively easy material for him to handle to his relief. He'd had barely a month to put together lesson plans, relying heavily on reformatting the previous professor's outlines into something that made a little more sense to him.

“Professor Katsuki?” asked a light voice.

Yuuri looked up to see a young girl before him, dressed in the pale pink robes of the younger students. “Yes?” he asked, not confident enough to use names yet. He was fairly certain she was in his third hour.

“Um, hi,” she said. “Could you tell me what the homework was again?”

“Third year, right?” he asked, and she nodded. “Just review the Transfiguration alphabet that you learned last year. We're going to need that fresh in our minds for when we start plugging it into the transfiguration formula next week.”

She nodded. “Okay. Thank you!” With pink cheeks she darted away, and Yuuri went back to shuffling papers on his desk. After a few minutes he was satisfied everything was in order for Monday.

“Professor Katsuki?” asked a much more familiar voice.

Yuuri looked to the door with a grin. “Victor,” he laughed, watching the platinum blonde walk into the classroom. “What are you doing here?”

“I wanted to see the professor in his natural habitat,” Victor teased, coming close enough to perch on the edge of Yuuri's desk. “You look so _official_.” Victor was used to the casual wear Yuuri wore at the onsen, so it was a delight to see him dressed so professionally. The gold robes of Mahoutokoro really suited Yuuri. He himself had opted for his best black traveling robes and was feeling far under dressed in comparison.

Yuuri rolled his eyes and pushed his chair back to get to his feet. “Well the day is officially over. It went well. I'm still learning all their names, but the students are great so far. But you didn't come all the way here just to say hi.” He stepped around his desk and nudged Victor gently. “Now what are you really doing here?” The potions study session didn't start until next week and there hadn't even been tryouts for Quidditch yet.

Victor grinned. “Can I get another tour?” he asked. “I don't want to get lost and embarrass myself next week.”

Yuuri knew Victor was excellent when it came to navigating, and the walk through they had both been given by Satsuki on Monday was enough to get him to the single classroom he needed to find. Still, he smiled and nodded. “Of course,” he agreed. “Let's practice getting from the front door to the staff lounge.”

“Oh I can do that,” Victor said happily, giving away that he really didn't need any help staying on path. He pushed off the desk, grabbing one of Yuuri's hands to tow him toward the classroom door. “What about some of the common rooms? Satsuki didn't show us any of those!”

“Because there's no reason the Quidditch referee needs to know where they are!” Yuuri laughed, shaking his hand loose when they got to the door. “But alright, follow me. I think I remember how to get to a few interesting places.” The layout of the palace was slowly coming back to Yuuri, though he didn't know the shortcuts he once used as a child.

Victor gleefully followed Yuuri down milky-white halls of Nephrite, taking in all the ornate gold trimming and details. The school was beautiful, and he was consistently left speechless as he saw more and more of it. Yuuri steered them through the next hall, up a flight of stairs and made a left at the top, torches replacing windows along the hall as they continued. “Why aren't there windows?” asked Victor, disappointed to lose the beautiful views.

“Because we're going into the volcano,” Yuuri said simply.

“What?” gasped Victor.

“You saw how small the school looks when we flew here last month, right?” he asked. “There's a lot more to it than what's initially visible. There are classrooms, dormitories, and other areas below the main building and also into the mountain beside the school. The school goes as low as the sea,” he said. “One common room, the Toppuu Porthole, is just under the the surface of the water. The way the light shines through is so beautiful and relaxing. The sound of the water against the cliffside really helps you fall asleep. We liked to say we were the best rested house.”

“Is Toppuu the house you were in?” asked Victor excitedly. “Can we see it?” If they were going upstairs he suspected that wasn't where they were headed.

“Toppuu was my house,” Yuuri nodded. “But I want to show you House Shunrai. If you were a student here, I think that's where you'd stay.”

Victor's eyes widened. “Really? What's the house like? Tell me everything!”

Yuuri was losing track of how often Victor demanded that. He privately chuckled. How very like his house to be full of questions. “They're known for their curiosity and confidence, and you have plenty of both,” Yuuri smiled. Those of House Shunrai were known to be unpredictable and inquisitive, although good-humored and friendly. Students tend to test their boundaries and limits. “They are creative,” Yuuri added. “Always eager to learn new things, and always the first to ask 'why.'”

Victor beamed, satisfied in Yuuri's sorting. “That sounds like me!” he agreed. “What is Toppuu known for?”

“Ah,” Yuuri hesitated, finding it harder to talk about his own house. “Well, we're supposed to be quick witted and perceptive, but...I don't know...” Most considered those in Toppuu to be carefree and blithe, but those in the house felt it wasn't quite accurate. Students in Toppuu saw themselves as quite mindful of details, meticulous in their efforts and focused on creating their best possible work. The downside to such a drive for perfection was they tended to become angry with themselves for minuscule errors. “I guess we're friendly.” He had quickly joined in with the likes of Yuuko and Takeshi, and after he transferred he'd bonded with Phichit fast as well. Members of his house easily made friends, but they had no qualms in cutting ties with those they distrust. Yuuri guiltily thought of how quick he'd been to dismiss Victor at the first sign of trouble...

“Yuuri, that suits you perfectly!” Victor enthused, certain that despite only having a brief description Yuuri was a sure fit for Toppuu. “That explains how well you read the dragons! You have to be perceptive to pick up their subtle clues. And you're so clever! And-!”

“I get it,” Yuuri laughed. “I'm a Toppuu Eel and proud of it.”

“An eel? What am I?”

“A Shunrai Cat.”

“A cat!” he echoed happily. “And my house color?”

Yuuri thought it over. “It's like a … dusty lavender?” He was more fond of his own house's sea green.

Victor seemed delighted. “I look great lavender,” he quietly said, sounding pleased.

Yuuri laughed again. “Victor,” he sighed fondly. “You sound like a first year that just got sorted.” His enthusiasm was adorable.

“But this is all so new to me!” he pouted. He had a right to be excited. “How do you get sorted into a house here?”

Yuuri nudged him to turn down another hallway. “It's a lot more private than what Hogwarts and Ilvermorny do. A papyrus scroll is displayed in the main hall on the first day of term. You can check it any time; before all your classes, at lunch...whenever you're ready. When you place your hand on the scroll the kanji symbol for your house appears, along with a brief summary explaining the history of your house.” Each house represents a long history of achievements and noble attributes, and students rarely experience regret for their placements.

“I like that,” Victor smiled.

Before either could say anything else, Yuuri realized they had reached their destination. “Oh, this is it,” he said. “Just around this corner.” Yuuri stopped and motioned for Victor to go ahead of him, and he eagerly hurried around the corner, immediately coming to a stunned stop.

Before him was large lounge with overstuffed couches littered around, low lit lamps casting warm shadows around the room. There were a few students milling about, most with a textbook on their lap or on the desk before them. But that wasn't what caught Victor's eye. No, he was instantly transfixed on the domed ceiling alight with celestial images moving as though it were the true night sky. If Victor didn't know better he would have sworn it was an open air common room, but of course if that were true he would be seeing the afternoon sun rather than these perfectly visible constellations. “Wow,” he breathed. “Amazing. Is it always night in here?”

“Yes,” Yuuri nodded. “You get used to it. Shunrai students are known for their excellence in astronomy, and it's probably because they see the stars twenty-four seven. It's very cozy though,” he said. “I liked to study in here a lot. People tend to stay quiet, I think because it tricks you into thinking it's late and people are sleeping, so you feel compelled to whisper?” That was his theory anyway.

“Wait,” Victor frowned. “You studied here? You can come in the common room if you aren't part of the house?” Off to the sides of the lounge were staircases that presumably lead to the dorms. He realized he hadn't gone through any locked door, nor was he prompted for any kind of password.

“Yeah,” Yuuri said. “That was something that blew my mind at Ilvermorny. Not being able to go to the other house's common rooms. How are you supposed to befriend people in other houses if you can't socialize with them?” Seemed counter productive.

Now that Victor thought about it, most of his Durmstrang friends were from the same house as him. Probably because it was easier to hang out that way. “Huh.” How about that.

Yuuri walked Victor through the common area, both mindful not to trip over any couches or students while craning their necks up to look at the stars. A few times they were interrupted by quiet “Hi Professor Katsuki's” and once they caught a few giggling upperclassmen staring at Victor.

Once they had each pointed out all the constellations they could identify Yuuri lead them back down to the main floor of the school, stopping in his Transfiguration classroom on the way to grab the schoolwork he wanted to grade over the weekend. “There are a few places staff can Apparate to and Disapparate from,” he was saying. “Where did you come today, the docks?” Victor nodded. “Okay, you can go there, the staff lounge, and the main hall. Maybe the Quidditch pitch, I heard that but I haven't tried it yet. We should find out before the season starts.”

“Satsuki says the first potions study session will be next Thursday. Maybe I could come up Wednesday after your classes and we take a walk to the field?”

“Sure,” Yuuri nodded. “I'd like that.” Just as they were about to head to the lounge to Disapparate home, Satsuki appeared around the corner.

“Oh, Professor Katsuki, I'm glad I caught you!” Her eyes flicked to Victor. “And you, Mr. Nikiforov.”

“You can call me Victor,” he offered, seeing as they would be working together closely for the school year. Her cheeks tinted a light pink.

“Oh, thank you,” she said, but wasn't brave enough to try it just yet. “Um, I'm glad you're here, actually,” she said. To Yuuri she added, “I wanted to give you this to pass on to Mr. Nikiforov, but since he's here...” She pulled her bag in front of her and reached in, pulling out a small parcel wrapped in brown paper and twine. “It's charmed to be so small,” she warned. “Don't open it until you're at home or the spell will break. But it's Mr. Nikiforov's robes.”

“My...robes?” asked Victor in confusion.

“Oh,” smiled Yuuri, looking to Victor in excitement. “I didn't even think of that, but you need a robe for next week, don't you?”

Victor's expression brightened. “I get a robe?” he asked happily, eagerly accepting the package from Satsuki and sorely tempted to open it right here.

“Is it a professor's robe?” asked Yuuri. His own robes were slightly different than that of the students, but Victor wasn't really a professor nor a student.

“Well, Headmaster Kida and I weren't really sure what would be most appropriate. We've never had a wizard who wasn't a professor help teach before,” she admitted. “I hope it's acceptable that we combined the two?” She looked to Victor hopefully, who honestly was just thrilled to have official Mahoutokoro gear. “It's the traditional student style shirt and slacks, but with the outer robe cut in the professors style.”

“That's absolutely fine,” Victor agreed easily. He couldn't wait to get home and try it on!

* * *

No surprise to anyone, the first thing Victor did when they Apparated home was rush to his bedroom to try on his new clothes.

The black pants were standard, no surprise there, but Victor was pleased with the upper portion. At the neck was a white collar, followed by a gray and then brown panel, the rest of the torso beige. Around his waist was an obi, the decorative cords black with the lavender color of House Shunrai twined in. Now dressed, he threw open his door to find Yuuri waiting in the hallway.

“Yuuri!” he beamed. “It has the lavender color!”

Yuuri smiled in returned. “I suppose Headmaster Kida thought you belong to Shunrai too.” Noticing he was missing a layer, “Where's the outer robe?”

Victor hurried back into his room to grab the pretty pale pink robe. Along its arm and down its back was a beautiful golden design, along with golden trim along the edges. Whereas the students robes were flowing and open, Victor's instead had two frog closures down the front. He eagerly but gently pulled the robe on, admiring the pink greatly, but before he had even the first closure clasped the robe began to darken.

“Oh!” Victor gasped, looking down at himself as the pretty pink turned almost orange. “What's happening?”

Yuuri stepped into the room, watching in fascination as the orange turned yellow, then darkened to gold, just a shade or two lighter than the pre-existing decor to allow the patterns to still be visible. “Wow,” Yuuri marveled. “I've never seen that happen all at once.”

“What? What happened?” asked Victor, turning this way and that to look at himself in the mirror. “Why isn't it pink?”

“When we receive the robes our first year they start off pink,” Yuuri explained. “You keep the same set the whole ten years, they magically grow to fit you as you get older. Over the course of your studies the color changes to show your academic progress. Once you achieve top marks in all your courses your robes are gold. Of course, not everyone does that,” he said. “A lot of people never reach gold. The school is full of different shades, which makes the hallways quite colorful.” The overwhelming sea of black at Ilvermorny had been so depressing at first, but Yuuri had grown to like the anonymity it brought. While he was proud of his golden robes, it had also been a relief to walk down a hallway without broadcasting his devotion to studying. He had been one of few twelve year olds at Mahoutokoro to already have gold, and some upperclassmen still in pink had given him rude glances.

Victor's eyes lit up. “Wow!” he grinned. “I suppose it's because I'm an adult who's through with school that it went right to gold?”

Yuuri sighed fondly. “It's because you're _brilliant_ that it went right to gold,” he corrected. Did Victor forget who he was sometimes?

Victor was still modeling the robe before the mirror, looking at all the angles in pure delight. “I know just the wand for this,” he mused. “It'll match perfectly, Mother put a little gold trim in the handle.” He blinked in surprise all of a sudden. “...I haven't told her that I'll be teaching yet!” he gasped. “Yuuri, may I borrow your family's owl?”

“Of course,” he agreed, not realizing himself that Victor hadn't told his mother about Mahoutokoro. But come to think of it, “Have you told your mother that you're in Japan?” he asked.

Victor looked immediately guilty. “...No,” he admitted. He hadn't mentioned Japan, the dragons for obvious reasons, Mahoutokoro or even _Yuuri_. “...I have a lot to tell her...” He hadn't written to her since he lived in Russia, and he couldn't even remember the last thing he updated her on.

Yuuri stepped closer and reached to undo the frog closures on the front of Victor's robe. “I'll hang this up for you,” he offered. “Why don't you go sit down and think about where to start that letter.”

* * *

Yuuri spent Sunday afternoon going over the very easy homework the students had turned in their first week. For each period he had given them all a “pop quiz” of sorts with a little of everything they had covered the previous year, and for the first years it had the most basic generalizations of Transfiguration, nothing harder than _What do you think Transfiguration is?_ For the older students, he assured them that it was nothing that would be graded, he simply wanted to see what they remembered from previous years. He'd given it out on Monday and asked that they turn it in Friday, filling out anything they could remember and emphasizing it was okay to leave questions they didn't know blank. He wanted to have a rough idea of how each of his grade levels were fairing, and how much review he should expect to do before moving on to teaching new topics.

As he looked over the quizzes Victor sat beside him at the large family dining table working on the novel that was his first letter home to his parents in ages. Yuuri had agreed to let Victor give a few specifics, but asked that the word dragon not be used lest the letter ended up being intercepted during the long journey to Russia.

He imagined it would read similarly to the letters he'd written to Christophe, Yakov and Nikolai. Chris in particular knew of Victor's obsession with dragons, and it had been easy enough to get his point across without using the word.

 _Chris,_ it had started. _I'm sorry for leaving so abruptly this summer, but there was an opportunity I could not pass up. I'm sure you recall the peculiar item I showed you in my shop, and what I suspected it to be. I was right, Chris! As unbelievable as it sounds, I was right._

_I have spent the remainder of the summer and the beginning of fall in Japan continuing to learn everything I can. The varieties, Christophe, you would not believe unless you saw. So with that in mind, I ask you to please come visit me so that I may show you in person._

_If you see Yura, ask him to confirm if you have any doubts as to what I'm referring to. Yura spent the summer with me here in Japan too. He should be back at Durmstrang now, but I know you bump into him and Nikolai now and then._

It had been less than a week after the letter was sent that they received Chris's astonished response. He did indeed know Victor was alluding to the scale, and agreed to come visit as soon as time allowed. Chris warned that if this was an attempt at a prank, an international visit was going a bit far, but either way seeing his friend was long overdue.

Knowing Chris was more keen on floo travel than teleporting so Victor wrote back with directions on how to arrive in one of the many chimneys of the inn. In his final letter Chris let them know he would be available that coming week.

Yuuri wasn't sure what Victor had written to the other two, but he assured Yuuri that they would come. Yakov offered to visit the first break in term he had at Durmstrang, and Nikolai had decided he would do the same, and that way he could bring Yuri as well. Victor was surprised to hear that the blonde had been grouching about when he could go back and play with the kids, and Victor had had to assure each of them that he hadn't kept a girlfriend secret from them. Honestly, a girl was the last thing on Victor's mind, and they both should have known that by now.

“Okay,” Victor sighed, setting his quill down. “I think that about sums it up.”

Yuuri looked up from the paper he was grading. “How long did it end up being?” he asked curiously.

“Ah,” said Victor, gathering all the papers up. “One...two...er, seven pages?”

Yuuri laughed. “That's a summary?”

“I had a lot to say!” Victor protested with a laugh. He wouldn't admit it, but he'd accidentally spent an entire three pages talking only of Yuuri. “Let me send this off and I can help you grade those.”

“I'm not really _grading_ them exactly, I just wanted to see what they remember. I'm almost done, but thanks for the offer.” He glanced at the clock, noting it was early in the afternoon still. “Why don't you get the girls ready and we can take them to the field? I just need ten minutes.” Victor nodded and set off for the back porch where their owl snoozed most of the days away.

The Opaleye triplets were just over two months old now and growing much faster than Yuuri was prepared for. Logically he knew from experience that they grew quickly, but he pictured them as the tiny little hatchlings from July still, and was surprised every time when he could no longer fit all three in his lap at once anymore. They came up to his knees, and were much too large to wrap around his shoulders now, much to Hisa's disappointment.

Once finished with his papers Yuuri went to his bedroom to find Victor on the floor beneath four wiggling dragons, laughing and trying to pet them all at the same time.

“Need some help?” asked Yuuri, not at all surprised to see that Victor had gotten sidetracked on his mission to collect the dragons for a walk.

Ai bounced her way over to Yuuri who braced himself for impact and let her jump up, front claws padding against his chest almost hard enough to knock him over. Three were really too many for his bedroom now but he was loathe to be separated, finally agreeing to let one sleep with Victor each night if only so he still had some room for himself in his own bed.

“I was just getting them ready,” Victor hastily said, pushing the dragons off and getting to his feet. They chirped happily and wriggled in excitement, the little black one clawing at his pant leg. “Isn't that right, Makkachin?” he cooed, reaching down to scoop her up. “I had everything handled, didn't I?” She barked and licked his face in agreement.

It took a moment to get them settled enough to all go in one direction, but the wizards corralled the dragons out of the bedroom and toward the back door. Once outside, with a flick of a wand harnesses appeared on the four dragons, material careful to go around their wing joints, and two of their leads appeared in Yuuri's hand and the other two in Victor's. Makka was small enough to ride on Victor's shoulder still, but she had a lead all the same to get her used to it early.

The first time they had tried this hadn't been very productive. The girls had rolled onto their backs, scratching against the grass at the foreign feeling. The harnesses were now magicked to be indestructible, as once fidgeting didn't work they had set their teeth and claws to them. After several weeks of effort, the dragons now hardly noticed the material was there, too eager to head for the trail that would take them to the field.

Yuuri had suggested the need for leashes when it was too hard for Victor and himself to carry all four to the field. The girls generally followed at their sides, but if an unsuspecting animal crossed their path they would take off in pursuit, and he was worried they would run somewhere beyond the little trail and be spotted by a muggle, or even a wizarding guest of the inn. Either way, he'd just about had a panic attack the first time they'd sprinted after a bunny, and from then on had started working on getting them comfortable with leads.

Mari had been absolutely gobsmacked. Seeing Vicchan let Yuuri play and fly with him had been shocking enough, but four dragons prancing down the trail on a leash? Unbelievable. So much for the universal agreement that dragons are impossible to domesticate.

“Why don't you just Apparate with them?” she'd asked one day.

Yuuri had frowned. “I don't think they'd like the sensation. Maybe when they're a little older... Besides, they like walking.” Maybe it was a bit more of a hassle than Apparating, but he enjoyed the time spent with just Victor and their dragons.

When they reached the field Yuuri pulled his wand out and instantly the harnesses were gone and the dragons took off, ready to run and play in the open area. Makka, though almost a third their size, held her own well when it came to play wrestling and biting, though it was clear her older sisters went easier on her than they did themselves.

Victor and Yuuri found a shady spot beside a tree and settled down together. No other dragons were out today, and while it was tempting to go peek in the cave and see if Vicchan was around, he felt it was entirely too far of a walk today and was content to just lean against Victor's side. “Does Chris come tomorrow?” he asked.

Victor hummed in agreement. “I expect in the afternoon. I asked him to let me have the morning to myself to get some work done. Now that Minami and Yuri are back in school it's just me and Mari during the day.”

“Mom mentioned at breakfast this morning that she'd be willing to look for more help,” Yuuri said. Yuri was no longer manning the front desk in the afternoons to handle potion sales. “She's feeling the loss in meal service too.” Busser, meal prep, waiting tables... They hadn't realized how much Minami was doing for them until he was gone.

“If she wants help for meal service, let her know whoever she hires is all hers,” he said. While Yuri was his main source of help over summer, he too had relied on Minami for small things, and he felt bad if that took him away from Hiroko. “I've been considering hiring someone full time.”

“Oh?” asked Yuuri. “Really? Who?”

“I don't know many people in Japan,” Victor laughed. “I don't know. I'll put up an ad or something, what most people do to find help.”

“We aren't most people,” Yuuri pointed out. He glanced at the field. “The girls are used to going into your shop. What if they wander in when the new person's in there?” Even if they weren't technically allowed in Victor's shop, that never stopped them from ending up in there once a week. Not to mention Victor had a bad habit of sneaking Makka in to sleep under his work table.

Victor reached over to pat one of Yuuri's knees reassuringly, already feeling the anxiety from the 'what if's building. “I thought of that,” he promised. “And I was thinking... what if we had someone run your mothers cart in the square for her?” The inn had been so busy she hadn't set up shop since Victor arrived. “We could add my potions to it. Less non-onsen related traffic for Mari to deal with at the desk. We could go back to the original small display case with sample sizes in the lobby, maybe, but I think it would make things a little easier around here if my customers were separate from the inns.”

Yuuri frowned. “Mari was really keen on your popularity driving folks to Yu-Topia,” he reminded him.

“Yuuri, don't you think for one second that I'd ever stop singing your praises,” he said. “It will still be _very_ clear where I'm based out of. My items will be at your mother's stand, after all. We could even put the Yu-Topia logo on my bottles!”

“Oh – but – I don't want to distract from your brand just to advertise Yu-Topia,” he frowned. That wouldn't be fair to Victor.

Victor waved off the concern. “We'll think of something,” he said. Maybe combine the two logos, or have something like _made in partnership with Yu-Topia Katsuki_ added to his labels. “I just know it would be easier on both Mari and myself if we didn't have to worry about potion sales. And instead of me going through the hassles of finding a shop, buying it, redoing the interior and hiring staff, why not use what your mother already has? She would get all the profit from her items selling, and she wouldn't even have to be out there herself! Plus free labor from the person selling my potions.”

Yuuri smiled and shook his head. “You know she won't let you be the only one paying to run the stand, right? If you hire someone to sell her goods she's going to want to pay half their salary.”

“Well I won't let her,” Victor decided. “She's already letting me live and work rent free out of the inn. I draw the line here.” After his first month of living at Yu-Topia Victor realized he'd never received a bill of any kind. When he finally asked what he owed for his stay Hiroko had looked at him quizzically and asked why he thought he was expected to pay, none of the family paid to live in the inn. Did he think Yuuri and Mari were renting their bedrooms like guests? That was ridiculous. Victor had at least tried to pay for Yuri's room but Hiroko puttered off, claiming she heard Toshiya calling for help from the kitchen.

“Good luck,” Yuuri chuckled. “She's just going to tell me ' _Vicchan's being silly again._ '”

Victor leaned back enough to look down at Yuuri, who had been resting against his shoulder. “She calls me Vicchan?” He only heard them refer to the dragon that way, though he knew Vicchan's full name was Victor too.

Yuuri looked like he hadn't meant to say that out loud. “Sometimes,” he admitted. “I know it might seem odd,” Vicchan was practically the family pet and they had the same nickname, “But it's like a term of endearment.”

Victor didn't think it odd at all. If anything, the fact a dragon shared the name only increased the appeal. “I don't mind, I love it,” he beamed. “And now that I think about it, I think I have heard her say it once or twice.”

“It's a little easier to keep calling you Victor so we don't confuse who we're talking about,” Yuuri explained. “Otherwise I'm sure she'd use it all the time.”

Victor was silent for a moment, looking thoughtful. Finally he offered in a quiet voice, “You can call me Vitya, if you'd like.”

Yuuri moved off Victor's shoulder to get a better look at him, noting the man's faintly pink cheeks. “...Vitya?” he said, practicing the unfamiliar name.

Victor's cheeks turned a little darker, looking rather pleased. “Perfect.”

Yuuri nodded. “Okay,” he agreed. If that was the reaction it got, Yuuri would definitely start using it. “Vitya.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have never participated in those weekly challenge things, but I am going to give it a whirl next week for the Grand Prix Week. So keep an eye out for that, it starts Sept 7. Wish me luck because I don't really know what I'm doing lol.


	2. Chris Arrives in Yu-Topia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chris arrives with questions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you haven't already, please go check out the "Bonus Scenes"/Part 2 of this series. On Monday I added a little side quest over there (chapter 3) that will be referenced in the future in this main storyline. So if you don't know about that, now you do! :)

Monday morning Yuuri left early for school after helping Mari walk the dragons to the sanctuary. Meanwhile, Victor set to work brewing. Chris was due later in the afternoon and he wanted to get as much out of the way before then as possible. He was a little nervous on how his friend would take the news, but more excited than anything.

When lunch time rolled around he Apparated to the sanctuary to deliver Mari's lunch and sit by the lake to eat his own, Makka climbing into his lap and begging for scraps. Victor dangled bits of chicken over her, teasing the dragon a little before ultimately giving in and letting her steal half his food. He was lucky the triplets were distracted by Mari tossing them their own salmon filets or he'd have gone hungry.

After eating Victor gently picked her up, holding her under her forearms as he looked her over carefully. She really was stunning, her black scales reflecting brilliant sparks of color in the light. It was easy to see why she'd be the crowning jewel in any collection, and he was consistently finding himself so relieved she had wound up with him instead of in a glass cage somewhere. Makkachin was an energetic, happy hatchling who would have suffered greatly if left alone to be gawked at all day. If she wasn't in Victor's lap then she insisted on riding on Yuuri's back or chasing after her older sisters. Victor had always imagined dragons to be standoffish or private, but living with the Opaleye certainly changed that way of thinking. All four dragons craved attention and love, and Makka in particular was quite the social butterfly.

He held her up to eye level, cooing at her fondly. “Did you have a good morning?” he asked, and she trilled a delighted response at his voice. “Have you practiced hunting yet? Catch anything good?” Makka wiggled in his hold, wings beating behind her in excitement at the attention. “I hear Kou caught a rabbit. Maybe she can teach you how to stalk some prey soon.”

At the sound of her name, Kou immediately looked up from her salmon, ears alert. Victor smiled at her, and that was all she needed to abandon the meal and come sniffing around, eager to see what she was missing out on. Makkachin wiggled harder to be set down, so Victor set her back on the grass and she hurried to run for the fish now up for grabs while Kou pounced on Victor, knocking him back into the grass and sitting triumphantly on his chest. “Hello little girl,” he beamed, trapped beneath a not so little dragon. “Are you ready to make a new friend today?”

He planned on bringing Chris to meet the four dragons this evening after everything was explained. While it was tempting to have them ready to show off first thing, Victor found he had rather liked how he'd been prepared for it before meeting Vicchan the first time. Yuuri had been able to field questions and give his family's history with the dragons to Victor before all the distractions of seeing a dragon for the first time took over. “He's going to love you,” he said, petting Kou's scales, nearly blinded by the rainbow glint from the afternoon sun. “I just know it.”

Long after his lunch break ended Victor Apparated back to the inn. He checked the time and saw it was half past one, and Chris was expected around four. With an eagerness in his motions he set back to work, determined to busy himself to make the time go by faster.

* * *

“Good afternoon,” Yuuri said to his last class of the day, fifth year students ranging between eleven and twelve years old. “I went over your review from last week and was pleased to see a lot of you remember most of the previous material. I feel confident we can move on to learning a new spell today.” A ripple of excited whispering went through the room, students eager to expand their spellwork. “I thought today we could go over the transfiguration spell known as Avifors. This will allow you to transform small objects into birds.” With his wand in hand, he motioned to the paperweight on his desk. With a quick flick it transformed into a finch, chirping excitedly. The class gasped and clapped, awestruck, and Yuuri inwardly grinned at how easy young students were to impress.

“I know in previous years you've learned a spell that specifically turns matches into needles, and then we learned how to do broader spells like Flintifors, which...does what?” he asked.

A girl threw her hand in the air, answering before he could even call on her, “Turn _any_ object into a matchbox!” she said proudly.

“That's right,” he praised, nodding happily. “Some spells are for a particular object to turn into another particular object, but it's a little trickier when we have spells like Flintifors which allows any object to be changed into our target object, in that case a matchbox. Building on that, now we're going to add a little more difficulty in going from an inanimate object into something that is alive. The Avifors Spell can be very complicated, keep in mind transfiguration is some of the most complex magic to learn. I don't expect anyone to get this one hundred percent right today. In fact I don't expect to get beyond wand movements and pronunciation today, so don't get discouraged if you walk out of here at the end of the hour without transfiguring your quill or parchment into a bird. It's only Monday. By Friday I have no doubt we'll have a whole flock of finches in here. Now, repeat after me: _AH-vi-fors._ ”

The classroom rang with a dozen different pronunciations, but despite getting tongue tied the students looked enthusiastic as they chanted the spell. By the end of the hour most were saying it correctly, and Yuuri felt they had a decent grip on the easy wand movements as well. “That's it for today. Remember, sideways figure eight, _not_ vertical figure eight when waving your wand. That will have a _completely_ different outcome that we definitely do not want.” With that said, the students were free for the day, and they hurriedly grabbed their book bags and rushed for the doors.

Yuuri turned to his desk, on which perched the finch he'd transfigured at the beginning of class. With a quick swish of his wand it returned to its former self as his paperweight. Noticing one of the students lingering to watch, he tapped his wand to his chest for show before allowing just the wings of his animagi form to appear. They were smaller than normal, automatically proportionate to his human body, and the light from the windows danced brightly off the blue scales.

“Wow,” breathed the young girl, brown eyes wide. “Amazing.” Yuuri chuckled, reminded of how often Victor muttered those same words, and gave her a quick wink that was more characteristic of his boyfriend than himself. He pulled his wings back in, robes showing no sign of the appearance or removal of them, and turned to gather his things to head home. “Are we going to learn how to grow wings after we finish with the finches?” she asked hopefully.

Yuuri shook his head with a fond smile. “Not this year, I'm afraid. Human Transfiguration is many, many years down the road.”

She looked a little disappointed, but her expression was overall determined. “Okay,” she said. “I can't wait. This is the best class _ever!_ ” Beaming, she turned and ran for the door. Her friends were waiting in the hall, and Yuuri overheard them ask what took her so long. “Professor Katsuki can grow _wings_!”

“Nu uh,” scoffed a boy from Yosamu House.

“Seriously, he just did it!” she insisted as one of the girls threw their arms around her shoulders and started steering the group back to their common room.

“Aw, I missed it?” whined one of the others. “You think he'll do it tomorrow? Why didn't he do it in class?!”

“Professor Katsuki is _way_ cooler than Professor Oda ever was.” There was a chorus of agreement as the group walked further down the hall.

Yuuri couldn't help another chuckle. He couldn't wait to get home and tell Victor he was _cool_.

He headed for the staff lounge, one of the few locations the Anti-Apparation ban was void, and his mind replayed how engaged his students had been today. Not just his last period, but every class had seemed eager for more as Yuuri magicked up pygmy puffs out of thin air, transformed an owl into opera glasses, and transfigured a student's toad into a water goblet and back again. He had been a little nervous teaching beyond his comfort zone of Creature Care, but...maybe he wouldn't be a half bad Transfiguration Professor after all.

* * *

Chris appeared shortly after four, arriving in Yu-Topia's lobby with several bags. Mari was in the process of checking him in when Victor found him, and Victor immediately enveloped his friend in a hug. “Chris!” he beamed. “I'm so glad you're here! We have so much to catch up on!”

“So I hear,” Chris chuckled, turning back to Mari to accept his room key and giving her a quick thank you. “Lead the way, mon ami.” Victor grabbed one of his bags for him and headed for Chris's guestroom. His friend looked around with interest, having never been to Japan before. Thank god for translation spells or he would have been stuck staring helplessly at Mari until Victor popped up.

After Chris dropped his luggage off in his room Victor took him to the family dining room, each taking a seat around the table and settling in for a long chat. “So,” Chris began. “The suspense has been killing me. _What_ are you doing in Japan?”

Victor got right to the point. “ _I found dragons!_ ” he beamed. “They're real and they're amazing and this _family_ is amazing and-”

“Alright, hold on,” interrupted Chris. “You said that in your letter. The scale we were looking at, you were convinced it was from a water dragon of some kind, and you were gonna come here and find that guy you ran into...”

“I found him too!” Victor grinned. “His name is Yuuri, and his family owns this inn.” Victor let out a happy sigh, relieved to finally share this but unsure exactly how to do it. “I don't know where to start, Chris,” he admitted.

Chris looked him over, studying him carefully. “...You're not pulling my leg, are you?” he asked. There was still a chance this whole thing was a weird joke.

“No, I promise,” Victor said sincerely. “Everything I've said is true, and I will be more than happy to answer any of your questions.”

“Okay. Where are these dragons?”

“Except that,” Victor said with a wince, and Chris gave him an unimpressed look. “We'll get to that,” he assured him. “But I want to give you some time to get used to the idea before you see them. They excite easily and once they've decided it's playtime there's no hope of fighting it. It'll be harder to talk then.”

“...Playtime?” asked Chris, having been imagining monstrous beasts this whole time.

“Let me try to start from the beginning,” Victor said with a light laugh. “You see, after I found that scale, I went back to that ingredients booth here in town. Yuuri's mother runs it. Or ran it, we haven't really had time to lately. But I explained who I was looking for, and she thought it sounded like her son...”

Victor recounted the misunderstanding between himself and Yuuri, how the man had confirmed the blue scale did belong to a dragon but was very uninterested in encouraging Victor to stick around. He persisted though, and with the aid of Hiroko eventually won Yuuri's trust enough to learn a little more about the family's history with dragons. Victor gave a brief summary of Mari's time in the ministry, their following rescue of Vicchan, Azura and Verndari, and the construction of the sanctuary.

“He just found them?” asked Chris in disbelief. “In the middle of the desert, just like that?”

“Again, the poachers were there, they were midtransport, the dragons were attempting to escape... it was a chaotic scene. Alice and Antonin weren't focused on keeping up the silencing spells and other enchantments that are usually in place. Yuuri and his friends were lucky to be where they were and also lucky to be dealing with such incompetent criminals.”

Chris was still stunned. “I just can't believe after how long you searched you didn't even find a clue, and yet he accidentally stumbles upon one? How come you never stumbled any?”

That had been a sore subject for Victor for a while too. The first time he'd asked Yuuri he had not gotten an answer. Instead, Yuuri had requested he ask him again another time. Victor had waited for another good opportunity, and after that red dragon attacked Victor, Yuri and Hiroko during their rescue of Yuuri, Victor asked again.

“I was looking in the right places,” Victor said, explaining to Chris what Yuuri had laid out for him a few weeks ago. “The Ministry knows where the few dragon habitats that are left are. If you think about it, they're the ones that cornered the dragons into these areas. The same spells that keep our sanctuary safe are used on a grander scale by the Ministry. Silencing spells, distracting spells, barriers... you name it. I probably got within a few miles of a nest and then was redirected by a repulsion charm who knows how many times.”

Chris looked a little skeptical. “You really think there's a huge conspiracy where all these people know about dragons but keep it quiet?”

Victor knew it was a lot to take in. As obsessive with dragons as he was, he had soaked in any tidbit of information eagerly. For someone a little more personally removed, he could see how it sounded far-fetched. “When Yuuri gets home he and his sister can explain the Ministry dealings a little bit better.”

Determined to be a good friend, and always rather open minded, Chris was happy to hear him out. “Okay, the Ministry knows where they are and keep it secret. How did you friend stumble upon them if there are all these protections in place?”

“There are counter curses that nullify them,” Victor said, recalling how Mari had explained how she and others in the Dragon Research and Restraint Bureau were able to access the areas. “When needed, the Ministry can temporarily take them down. If they have to relocate a dragon they need to be able to get into the area, so the agents are taught the counter measures. Consequently, those who leave the Bureau leave with that knowledge. If they don't use the spells themselves they pass it on to those who will.” Poachers, collectors, anyone willing to spend a few galleons can eventually buy the key to unlocking the habitats.” Yuuri and Mari suspected the area around the castle Yuuri had been held in had been stripped of all enchantments other than the Anti-Apparation ban, thus allowing Alice and Antonin to search the woods nearby in pursuit of dragons, most likely tipped off by former Ministry agents.

“So...his sister, Mari...knows these spells?” Chris asked, to which Victor nodded. “And I assume she's told you?” Victor nodded again. “So you could in theory go out now and...find a dragon. Is that right?”

“In theory, yes,” Victor agreed. “I haven't asked for exact locations, but if I knew that...yes. As long as I was in the general area of the protected habitat, with the right counter curses I could nullify the enchantments and look around. I don't know how easy it is to find them once you're there, but that would give me a good start.”

Chris sat back in his chair, letting out a long breath. He had so many questions despite Victor sharing so much. “You haven't asked where they are?” he settled on, astonished that that hadn't been Victor's first priority.

“No,” admitted Victor. “My outlook on... _everything_ has changed,” he said. “After meeting Yuuri...after meeting the dragons...it's hard to explain. But I don't want to catch them. I don't want to...bother them in the wild. I want to protect them and keep them wild and stop people from keeping them caged up as live trophies.” His cheeks turned a little pink as he admitted, “I am a bit of a hypocrite though. I want all the dragons to live in the wild on their own...except my four.” The thought of his Opaleye leaving Yu-Topia and never coming back made his heart ache.

“Your four?” asked Chris, utterly lost, but before Victor could elaborate there was the distinct crack of someone Apparating just outside the dining room.

“Vitya?” Yuuri called. “Is Chris here yet?”

 _Vitya_? marveled Chris, never knowing anyone other than Victor's parents to call him that. Chris didn't even call him that, and he was Victor's oldest friend. The man was so private and isolated these days Chris sometimes feared he was Victor's _only_ friend.

By this point Chris was still shocked but otherwise convinced Victor was being honest in sharing the fact he had achieved his dream of finding living, breathing dragons. He had names of contacts, and a history of corruption he couldn't have come up with on his own, and not to mention the fact that _something_ kept him in Japan all these months. He wouldn't have uprooted his life if he hadn't found anything worthwhile here. Finally, Chris just didn't believe Victor would lie about something like this. Crazy as it sounded, his friend found dragons, and that was an entirely understandable reason for him to drop everything in Russia and move here.

“Oh, there you are, Vitya. Is this Chris?”

Christophe looked to the doorway to see an attractive young man in golden robes. His dark hair was a bit untidy after a long day of dodging misfired student spells and choosing to fly the giant storm petrels down to the docks before Apparating home. Blue glasses framed wide brown eyes and his lips were upturned into a friendly, polite smile. Chris glanced at Victor to see him already moving to greet Yuuri, reaching his side and slipping an arm around his waist.

 _Oh_ , Chris smirked. _This all makes sense now_. Dragons _and_ a cute boy? There was never any chance of Victor leaving Japan.

“Yes,” Victor was saying, motioning with his free hand toward his friend. “Yuuri, this is Chris. Chris, Yuuri.”

“It's a pleasure to meet you,” Yuuri said. “Victor's told me so much about you.”

“Really?” grinned Chris. “I'm afraid I haven't heard much about you. Although I imagine that's because Victor wants to keep you all to himself. Can't say I blame him.”

Victor pouted at Chris but Yuuri was oblivious to the teasing, instead saying, “Oh, that's my fault, I asked that he not tell anyone he was here, or why. The dragons, you know.” Yuuri's eyes widened and he looked quickly to Victor, “You did tell him about the dragons already, right?” As if that wouldn't have been the first topic they covered.

“Yes,” Victor laughed, squeezing Yuuri's waist playfully. “We were just getting to the triplets and Makkachin.”

“Mm,” Yuuri nodded. “Well let me change out of these robes and we can walk to the field. I assume the girls are still out there?” Victor nodded. “Okay. Five minutes,” he said, pulling away from Victor's side to go to his room and change.

Victor watched him until he disappeared around the corner, then turned back to find Chris staring at him, clearly amused. “What?” he asked.

“'An opportunity you can't pass up' huh?” he asked, quoting Victor's letter. “Was that referring to the dragons or...” He trailed off, nodding in the direction Yuuri had gone.

Victor rolled his eyes. “The dragons, Christophe,” he said, before he gave in to a smile of his own. “Yuuri and I weren't even dating yet when I decided to move here.”

Chris's eyes sparkled. “So you _are_?”

Victor grinned triumphantly in lieu of responding and started for the hall. “Follow me, we can wait for him in the yard.”

* * *

Yuuri met them in the backyard, golden Mahoutokoro robes traded for his comfy casual wear. “Sorry about the wait,” Yuuri said, pulling the back door closed behind him. “I didn't want the girls to rip the robe again.”

They fell into a leisurely pace, walking down the small trail that would take them to the field. “Girls?” asked Christophe.

“Our four youngest dragons,” Yuuri explained. “Three hatched at the same time two months ago, all three white Antiopdean Opaleye, and one hatched almost a month ago, a black Opaleye.”

“Wow,” Chris said. “I didn't know there _were_ black Opaleye.” While nowhere near Victor's level of obsession, Chris did know a thing or two about dragons simply from being friends with him for so long. He had always assumed it was fictional knowledge he was absorbing, an interesting but ultimately fantastical subject.

“Makkachin is one of a kind,” Victor said proudly. “Black Opals are so rare it wasn't even a sure thing they existed. But she does exist, and she's ours, and she's the Best Girl.”

Yuuri snorted lightly. “Don't let the triplets hear you say that. They won't like you playing favorites.”

Victor looked horrified at the thought of implying he didn't love all four equally. “She's the best _black_ Opaleye,” he clarified. “Kou is the best hunter, Hisa is the fastest runner, and Ai is the best one to snuggle with because she doesn't toss and turn and will sleep through the night.” He lost count of how many times her sisters tore his pillows to bits during the night, awake and bored.

“...Huh?” asked Chris. “Snuggle with? What are you talking about, these are dragons right? We're all in agreement of what a dragon is, right?” Sharp claws, deadly fangs, eats people. Was he missing something?

Yuuri gave Victor a questioning look. “I thought you said you told him about the dragons.”

“I _did_ ,” Victor said. “In that they exist, and we found them, and we have some. I didn't get into details yet about our relationship to them.”

Chris's head was spinning once again, worse than trying to comprehend the Ministry's role in all this. “Relationship to them?” he asked.

Victor opened his mouth but Yuuri gently nudged him. “Let me,” he offered, and Victor happily surrendered the responsibility of explaining their family dynamic. “I don't know how much you know about eggs and the hatching process, and if you've heard accurate information, so I'm just going to go over everything.” Chris nodded, and Yuuri continued to on. “Female dragons typically are the ones to tend to the eggs. Keep them warm, keep them rotated, guard the nest, etcetra. Male dragons will hunt for food, protect the female, and so on. Normally when we have eggs in the sanctuary we make sure one of our experienced females is around to tend to them.”

“Victor had mentioned the sanctuary,” started Chris. “We didn't talk about it in depth though. You have multiple dragons...here? In Hasetsu?” Yuuri nodded. “I would not have guessed that.” True, he'd arrived by floo powder so he hadn't seen anything other than the inside of the inn and the short walk they've been on, but it seemed like a sleepy little town without much to offer in terms of exotic wildlife.

“That is precisely the point,” Yuuri chuckled. “Who would look for them here? We keep them well hidden. Once they're old enough to be on their own we release them, as long as they aren't seriously injured. But the main difference between the eggs we've hatched and raised before and these four Opaleye... Eh, well, when an egg hatches, the first one it sees it identifies as a parent. Normally when it hatches, Mom and Dad are there waiting. The three white Opaleye hatched when I was alone with them.”

Chris waited expectantly for more, but after a beat realized Yuuri was done. His brain ran over that again and, “Oh! So... _you._..?”

“Mhmm,” Yuuri nodded. “I was there, they imprinted on me, I am now for all intents and purposes their parent. That was a bit of a shock, but it helps that I can be with them as both a human and a dragon.”

“Wait, what?” asked Chris, certain he misheard something.

Yuuri shot Victor another fondly exasperated look. “Did you forget to mention I'm a dragon animagus?”

“ _You're a dragon animagus?!”_

“I was getting to it,” Victor pouted. “I had a lot of backstory to cover.”

Just when Chris thought it couldn't get any more unbelievable. “That's a thing?! People can turn into dragons now?!”

“Not just anyone can do it,” Victor said. “For all we know Yuuri is the only one in the world.”

“I'm sure there's another one,” Yuuri said, and both Victor and Chris emphatically said, “I'm sure there's _not_.”

“Anyway,” Yuuri said, clearing his throat. “Being able to bond with them as both a human and dragon has been very helpful, but we've learned that being entirely human doesn't really impact the bond at all. Wouldn't you agree, Vitya?”

Victor nodded, and Chris looked between them both for a moment. “You hatched an egg too?”

“Yuuri and I were both there!” he said happily. “Our Makkachin imprinted on us both, and she seems perfectly fine with the fact I have no scales or wings.”

“And the triplets adore you,” Yuuri added. “It doesn't seem to matter you weren't there the hour they hatched.” They felt Yuuri's affection for Victor and eagerly mimicked it, recognizing him as someone safe to trust if he had Yuuri's seal of approval.

“This...is...crazy,” Chris laughed. “But at the same time, Victor...somehow not at all surprising for you.” After years of searching for them, Victor deserved a dragon family.

“You know my family said basically the same thing,” Yuuri mused, recalling Mari not being perturbed in the least when he came home with three scaly kids. “Ah, we're here.”

The trio reached the edge of the field, the scene before them how it always appeared to newcomers, bland and empty. Yuuri fished out his wand from his pockets and gave it a few flicks, allowing Chris into the protection spell, and instantly the four dragons racing their way were visible.

Chris gasped, frozen, and Victor and Yuuri took a few more steps forward, kneeling in the grass and awaiting the inevitable pounce. Sure enough, Makka and Ai dove for Yuuri while Hisa and Kou bowled Victor over onto his back on the grass, the dragons trilling out a high happy sound.

“Hello my darlings,” Victor cooed, patting their scales affectionately. “Have you been waiting for us? I thought you'd still be playing.”

“Shh shh shh,” whispered Yuuri, trying to calm them down. “I missed you too, shh, okay, sit, _sit_.” Yuuri tried whistling, and Makka sat for a moment, but upon realizing Ai was still jumping up on Yuuri, got back to her feet. He shot an apologetic look to Christophe. “They aren't used to me being gone all day for school yet,” he explained. He dropped them off at breakfast and hadn't seen them since. “Just give me one moment to try to settle them down.”

Yuuri took a few more steps away, allowing himself plenty of room before transfiguring himself into a large sui riu. He sent waves of _calm_ and _love_ and _I'll always come back_ to them, laying down in the grass and nuzzling against the two little ones.

Chris still hadn't moved from his spot. His brain was short-circuiting. Even though he _knew_ Victor had said there were dragons, and he was aware they were coming here to see dragons, his mind wasn't comprehending that he was actually seeing...dragons.

Victor, 50 pound dragon in his arms, stood beside Chris and let out a pleased sigh. “Aren't his scales beautiful?” he asked, eyes locked on Yuuri. “And his wings...”

Chris was startled out of his daze when Kou approached, sniffing curiously at him and circling the stranger. He watched cautiously as the dragon paced about, nudging him lightly as if to test if he'd react, and he stayed perfectly still. Sensing no danger, she circled him one more time before standing on her hind legs, front paws landing on Chris's shoulder and snout craning to reach him. Chris leaned back, not interested in having his face licked by a creature that also came with razor sharp fangs. The fact Victor happily received dragon kisses did not reassure him at all, certain he had zero sense of awareness when it came to the danger his dragons posed.

“That one is Kou,” Victor said, nodding to the dragon investigating his best friend. “This one is Hisa,” and he nodded to the dragon nuzzling up against his chest, unaware of how heavy she'd become and believing she was still easily carried about. “Over with Yuuri is Makkachin, the black one, and her sister Ai.”

Chris gave Kou a few tentative pats, his motions becoming surer the more he touched her. “Hello,” he said quietly, looking her in the eye and amazed to see such intelligent eyes gazing back, studying him intently. At a loss for words, he simply pet the dragon for a few minutes, watching Yuuri as he sent playful bursts of steam at the two dragons, looking relieving to see them playing again.

After awhile he looked back to Victor. His friend's arms had grown tired and he'd set Hisa back on the grass, and now he was looking over her, gently unfurling the leathery wings and making sure she hadn't snagged them while rough housing. “You have your own baby dragons,” Chris said dumbly, the only thing his mind could come up with.

Victor looked up at him. “Yes! Isn't it great?”

Chris looked to Yuuri, then back. “You're dating a dragon.”

Victor's smile grew heart-shaped. “And I couldn't be happier!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next week - We find out who the hired help for Hiroko's stand will be. Any guesses? 
> 
> Hopefully you guys don't mind a lot of chapters revolving around school because I have a lot of stuff that's going to happen this year at Mahoutoroko xD but I will be including Ministry stuff too, I promise! I just really get distracted by the little things. Like Quidditch and Halloween.


	3. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Victor and Yuuri show Chris around the sanctuary.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I drove myself and my cat from Alabama to Ohio today. She was not pleased lol. But I'm on vacation this week, woo! :) Posting a day early because I don't know what kind of shape I'll be in tomorrow. I chose Ohio for my vacation because my sister is in dental hygiene school here in Ohio and needs a victim to practice on. I mean a patient to practice on >.> <.< So she's got me booked for like 9 hours of dental work between Thursday and Friday xD I have no idea what she's going to do to me. She said something about she just learned how to do those numbing injections?? Oh boy... last time I came up here she was learning how to do xrays and she took 18 of my teeth. What we do for family lol

Chris stayed for a week with them at Yu-Topia.

Yuuri didn’t have class on Tuesday so he was home with Chris and Victor, the three of them chatting while they helped knock out a decent amount of potion orders. Just when they thought they’d gotten the pile of requests to a manageable size the morning mail arrived, bringing dozens of owls to the banquet room’s window.

Yuuri volunteered to be the one to untie the letters from the owl’s legs, and as he did he noticed with astonishment that more than half of these letters had the same return address – Mahoutokoro School of Magic.

“Vitya…” he said, setting yet another letter onto the pile. “I have a feeling Satsuki mentioned you in class yesterday.”

“Why’s that?” asked Victor. He glanced up from where he’d been shaving roots for his next potion and his eyes grew comically wide. “Wha-?”

Yuuri laughed and looked to Chris. “I’m starting to doubt these bursts of orders are as rare as Victor made it sound at first.”

“Don’t let him convince you or himself that things will die down,” Chris chuckled. “They never die down.” Victor tried to splutter out an argument in his defense. “No, cheri, Yuuri and I know better. You think the spikes correlate only to new product releases, when really all you have to do is be mentioned and your fans go crazy.”

“They’re more customers than fans, Chris,” Victor said.

Yuuri piped up with, “Not according to Yuuko. She self identifies as a fan. Don’t tell her I told you that though. And look at her girls, they aren’t really customers of yours, they’re fans.”

Victor was aware he was popular, of course he was. He just found it easier to think of it as his products being in demand more than just him. “Well,” he said, changing the subject, “Start tallying up how many batches I need of each potion. And we really need to start looking into getting some help around here… Thursday the Potions study group starts, and Quidditch tryouts are this weekend…”

“What do Quidditich tryouts have to do with anything?” asked Chris, and Victor and Yuuri explained Victor’s new part time position at Mahoutokoro.

“I know I’m just the referee and won’t strictly be needed at tryouts, but I’d like to see the talent!” he grinned. “I loved Quidditch… I’m dying to see if the strategies are the same here or if Mahoutokoro students play entirely differently. What do you think, Yuuri?

“Oh,” he blushed. “I wouldn’t know. I watched every game Yuuko was in while I was at Mahoutokoro, and I watched Sara and Mickey play at Ilvermorny, but… They fly around and throw bludgers at each other? The seeker catches the snitch? It all looked the same…”

Victor looked physically wounded. “Yuuri!” he whined. “There’s so much more to it than that! Didn’t you hear anything I said to Yura all summer?”

Yuuri blushed harder. “Was I supposed to be listening to that too?” he asked, revealing that in fact he had paid zero attention to their training. “I was usually watching Axel, Lutz and Loop…”

Chris laughed at Victor’s defeated expression. Victor had probably tried to show off and Yuuri had been entirely oblivious. “What kind of help were you thinking of, Victor?” he asked to move the conversation along. Victor and Yuuri launched into an explanation of what both Victor and Hiroko were looking for, her ingredient stand in particular, and Yuuri listed all the worries he had about their help accidentally learning about their dragons.

“What about Georgi?” he suggested, and Victor blinked in surprise.

“Who’s that?” asked Yuuri.

“One of our friends, we go way back to our Durmstrang days,” Chris said.

Victor shook his head. “Isn’t he a mediwizard at St. Mungo’s now?” he asked. “I can’t imagine he’d want to give up that kind of career to sell potions and bat wings part time. No offense, Yuuri!” he hurried to say, hoping he hadn’t implied Hiroko’s cart wasn’t substantial.

“None taken,” Yuuri shrugged. “It _is_ a part time hobby of hers.”

But Chris was adamant they at least ask. “He may want a change of scenery, at least for a little while,” he said. “Last I talked to him the love of his life Anya ran off with a patient of hers, never to be seen again.”

“Oh no,” said Yuuri worriedly. “That sounds horrible.”

“Don’t be too concerned,” Victor assured him. “Anya is the _tenth_ love of his life. Not counting his school girlfriends.”

“…Oh?” asked Yuuri, even more confused and worried for the man.

“We feel bad for him, we do,” Chris said, wanting Yuuri to know they weren’t heartless. “It’s just we’ve been through this before. In a few months he’ll find someone new and have no memory of this world ending heartbreak. But until he does, he will be insufferable. Maybe a little time at a relaxing hot spring would be good for him, and a less stressful position than medic. I’m sure he’s overdue for a vacation.”

Victor tapped a finger to his lips. “I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to ask,” he said. “Hasetsu is a lovely town, I think the fresh air and slow speed here would be good for him.”

“Maybe we can find him a new love, too,” Chris grinned. “I mean it only took you what, two days to find Yuuri?”

Yuuri flushed and turned back to the owls, very interested in untying the rest of the letters. Victor, pink as well, just smiled. “We can’t all Apparate in front of beautiful strangers, knock them over and then follow them home the next day. But maybe we can find Georgi someone in a more conventional way.”

* * *

Because Yuuri’s bedroom was cramped with the four dragons in there, they had begun allowing the girls a little more freedom among the family areas. They had carefully set up spells preventing the dragons from wandering into public areas, but they could now make their way from Yuuri’s room to the family dining room, along with Victor’s bedroom. The door to Victor’s shop was usually kept closed, as they were very likely to accidentally knock something over if they came in and got excited.

For lunch they took the girls to the field, Yuuri happy to see Azura out lounging in her hot spring. Chris’s jaw dropped at the sight of her, blue scales shimmering in the noon sun, long tail flicking the water happily as she soaked.

“Don’t approach her,” Yuuri warned as they set their lunch out on a picnic blanket near the spring. “She’s friendly, but…I don’t recommend it. Not today anyway. The girls are comfortable with humans, but the rest are naturally skeptical. If Vicchan comes out today we can introduce you, he lets Victor ride him, but even Victor doesn’t get too close to Azura and Verndari.”

“Ride them?” gasped Chris.

Victor beamed. “I couldn’t believe it either!” He happily recounted how he and Yuuri spent hours flying with Vicchan. “Maybe we could fly together sometime while you’re here.”

“If Vicchan allows it,” Yuuri reminded him. “There’s a good chance, but I can’t promise that. Just because he let you, Vitya, doesn’t mean he’ll let everyone.”

“I have a suggestion then,” Chris said, smiling slyly. “Victor rides Vicchan and I ride Yuuri.”

Victor coughed on his water. “What?!” he nearly shrieked.

“Well surely Yuuri can fly?” Chris asked, and a pink cheeked Yuuri nodded. “If Vicchan is comfortable already with you, then you go with him and I’ll go with Yuuri. You can carry one person, can’t you, Yuuri?”

“Ah, well-” He’d never thought about it, but it was probably doable. “I suppose.”

“Absolutely not,” frowned Victor. He had never thought to ask, but now that it was up for discussion, no way was Chris doing that before him.

“Victor, don’t be greedy,” Chris pouted, leaning closer to Yuuri. “This may be my only chance to ride a dragon.”

Victor opened his mouth to argue but Yuuri cut him off. “Realistically I could just take both of you,” he said. The two men turned to look at him. “I’m sure I’d hardly notice the weight. I mean Vicchan took both of us easily, Vitya.”

“…Perfect!” Chris beamed. “Problem solved. When can we do it?”

“Um, whenever is fine,” Yuuri said. “We could do it after lunch if you want.” Chris cheered, but Yuuri noticed Victor looked conflicted. “Ah, well, actually after a meal probably isn’t best,” he said, changing his mind. “What about tomorrow after I get home from school?”

“That would be fine!” Chris agreed easily.

When they finished their meal they cleaned up and walked toward the caves on the other side of the field, the young dragons trotting along beside them. Yuuri explained how they’d built the caves for the original three dragons, and was happy to point out a snoozing Verndari as they passed him, and then went on to add how his family created the sanctuary for additional dragons. He lead the way to the giant stone steps and headed down, narrating how they had different habitats for the dragons to choose from so that they’d be comfortable. Most chose one and stuck with it, but some like Vicchan preferred to wander among them all.

“And over here is the nursery,” Yuuri said, motioning to the large rock wall beside him. Chris had thought it was simply the end of the plains, but noticed now that while the boulders and rocks went several yards above his head, it came nowhere near the ceiling of this underground world. Yuuri tapped his wand on the rocks and they slowly rolled apart, creating just enough space for them to walk though. “It’s a new addition.”

“Nursery?” asked Chris, following the couple through the newly created passage, but it quickly became self explanatory. Before them were dozens of little clusters of eggs, two or three eggs grouped together and settled carefully on top of small rocks, others nestled in a bed of hay. In the center of this sectioned off area was a small field, on which were five little dragons all napping together in a pile of limbs. There were several larger dragons here as well. A beautiful green dragon was gently breathing flames onto one set of eggs, nudging them with her snout between bursts to rotate them. A white dragon was lounging beside the sleeping babies, keeping one eye on them as she sunned herself, scales reflecting rainbow. She looked like a larger version of the triplets.

Before Yuuri or Victor could answer Chris, their four little dragons shot past them and darted for the little field, hopping over eggs and any other obstacles in their way. “Oh, girls, no!” called Yuuri, but it was too late. Their rambunctious hatchlings leapt atop the pile of sleeping dragons, eager to join in but accidentally waking them all up. Nine little dragons hopped to their feet, chirping in excitement and immediately beginning to play fight and wrestle. Opal, beside them, looked a little annoyed her peaceful sunbathing was over. Yuuri chuckled. “We owe her a steak. I’m sure she just got them all to lie down at once and we come and ruin everything.” He knew from experience how difficult it was to get a group of dragons to all sit still.

Chris was still looking the area over in wonder. “How many…?”

“Forty-two,” beamed Victor. “Five babies, thirty-seven eggs. All the babies and thirty-one of the eggs were retrieved in one night.”

“You’re kidding,” said Chris in disbelief.

“Unfortunately not,” Yuuri said. “They were all in a warehouse about to be smuggled from the US to Canada. The adults had been taken the night before, I have no idea how many they had. This really puts into perspective just how many dragons are in captivity. Thirty-six, in one warehouse. And this is happening worldwide…”

Victor put a comforting hand around Yuuri’s waist before looking to Chris. “We weren’t really equipped for this many eggs at once,” he said. “We built this new area as quickly as we could. We had already stolen five eggs from breeders in July, and we had thought that was a lot…”

They heard a roar, not threatening, just a gentle call, and looked up to see Azura flying over the rock wall from the main area and landing beside Opal. Chris realized that while the walls were high enough to keep little dragons from escaping the nursery, it was intentional not to go to the ceiling, allowing the adults to come and go as they pleased.

“Most of the females are quite excited about the development,” Victor said. “We had suspected raising young was a group effort, with how accepting Azura has always been, but this has really provided some concrete evidence to that theory. All of them have come at least once, and most come daily. Even Vicchan and some of the younger males have come to check on the eggs.” Verndari had never bothered, but didn’t seem to mind that his mate and son spent a majority of their day among the eggs.

“We arranged them,” Yuuri admitted. “I don’t know if this is exactly the nest a large group of dragons would naturally create, but they seem to go with it. I thought all of them needed to be kept warm with fire, but if you look over there,” and he pointed to the ones in the hay, “Grace, that green one over there, immediately shot that down.” The dragon had nudged the eggs off the heated stones and with some effort and trial and error, Yuuri settled them multiple ways until she seemed satisfied with hay. “I have no idea what kind of dragon it is and how she knows that they shouldn’t be heated, but I trust her to know what she’s doing.”

“This is remarkable,” Chris said.

“Yes,” agreed Yuuri. “But I’m worried…this is also unsustainable. Once they all hatch…I don’t think we have room for them all.”

“Can’t you expand the sanctuary?” asked Chris.

“Yes,” nodded Yuuri. “But it takes time. Which I’m willing to put in. But I also think even with an expansion it’s going to be very crowded.”

“What do you think you’ll do?”

“Release some of the older ones,” Yuuri said. “It’s been a while since I have. I get so used to them being here… but it’s for the best. As much as I’ll miss them, it’s the right thing to do. They aren’t meant to stay here forever. I can think of six or seven off the top of my head that I should have released months ago…” But on top of never wanting to part with them, the arrival of Victor had thrown off his normal schedule.

* * *

Later that evening, long after they’d all said their goodnights and headed off to bed, Yuuri poked his head out of his bedroom door. Coast was clear. He glanced back to make sure Hisa and Kou were sleeping soundly, one on the dog bed and one sprawled across Yuuri’s own. Perfect.

He carefully exited the room, pulling the door shut behind him. Quietly he made his way down the hall toward Victor’s room. At the door he carefully slid it open and stepped inside. Makka was curled up on Victor’s chest and Kou was at his feet. Yuuri tiptoed over and gently shook Victor’s shoulder. “Vitya,” he whispered.

“Hmm?” hummed Victor, slowly awakening. His bleary eyes widened when he saw Yuuri above him. “Yuu-?”

“Shh,” he said quickly, putting a finger to his lips in the universal signal to be quiet.

Victor blinked some more, trying to wake up. “Wha-? What time is it?” he asked in a whisper.

“Just after midnight. Come on, follow me.” Yuuri gently reached to pick up Makka, doing his best to relocate her without her stirring. Luck was not on his side, and the moment she was lifted she trilled softly in confusion. “Shh,” he cooed, deciding to instead gently rock her in his arms. “Shh, that’s a good girl.”

Victor carefully pulled his feet away from Kou and slowly got out of bed, reaching for the black robe he’d draped over the nearby chair. “What’s going on?” he asked, unsure where they were going but apparently still willing to follow Yuuri blindly into the night.

“We’re going to the field.”

“ _Now_?” asked Victor incredulously.

“Yes. Now come on,” he repeated, and not wanting to wake Kou up with a whining Makkachin, he decided to take her with them too. They crept quietly through the inn, going out the back door and heading for the little trail. Once outdoors Yuuri set Makka down and magicked her lead, and the little dragon seemed delighted for the rare trip at night. Yuuri was grateful for the harness and lead, in the darkness Makka was almost impossible to see. He imagined this time of night would be her prime hunting hours if she were wild – prey would never see her coming.

Halfway down the trail Victor finally spoke up. “What are we doing out here, Yuuri? You have school in the morning, you should be asleep.”

Yuuri reached over to take one of Victor’s hands in his. “I wanted to go for a late night flight.”

“…Huh?” asked Victor. “You could have flown after dinner. Why now?” And what did he need Victor here for?

He sighed fondly. “I wanted to take _you_ on a late night flight.”

Victor’s eyes widened. “Oh.”

He gave Victor’s hand a gentle squeeze. “I want you to be the first to fly with me.” He had noticed earlier that Victor didn’t seem to be fond of the idea of Christophe going first, and only marginally more accepting of them flying together tomorrow after school.

Victor’s sleepy smile turned heartshaped. “I’d love that.”

They reached the field and found it empty, smoke curling up from the caves indicating the trio of dragons normally found here were curled up by their fireplace. Yuuri lead Victor and Makka to the center of the field, shaking his hand loose and stepping a few paces away from them before assuming his sui riu form. He took a moment to shake out his leathery wings before kneeling to one side, sweeping a wing out of the way and looking expectantly at Victor.

Victor had mounted Vicchan a hundred times by now, but suddenly he was nervous as if it were the first time he’d done this. He whistled for Makka to come to his side, and scooped her up in one arm. Carefully he set one foot on Yuuri’s leg, the other on the wing joint, and hoisted himself up, mindful not to squish Makka between them as he did. Once on Yuuri’s back he moved to sit at his shoulders, leaning forward to wrap his arms around the long scaly neck. “Okay?” he called to Yuuri.

Yuuri huffed in response, turning to look back at Victor to make sure he was on securely. Victor let go with one arm temporarily to pull Makka into his lap. “Sit still,” he instructed. “I don’t want you to fall off.” Satisfied she was safe, he wrapped his arms around Yuuri’s neck again. With a grin he asked, “Shall we fly?”

The dragon let out a breath of steam in laughter, nodded, then pushed off the ground into the sky. Victor squealed in delight, clinging tightly to Yuuri and making Makka chirp in protest. It should have felt the same as flying with Vicchan, and he supposed for the most part it did, but there was an added thrill to it that he couldn’t explain. Maybe it had to do with how well he knew this dragon, and the fact they could communicate beyond affectionate pets.

“Yuuri!” Victor called happily. “Makka wants you to spin!” Yuuri knew Makka requested no such thing, but he was happy to indulge Victor and threw himself to the left, rolling twice before leveling out again. “Wow!”

They flew for quite a while, Yuuri soaring and diving in daredevil loops, all the while conscious of not doing anything too drastic that would throw Victor from his back. The way he clung like an octopus to Yuuri assured him the man really wasn’t going anywhere.

Eventually they landed, Yuuri kneeling to let Victor slide down his side safely, Makka in his arms. After a moment Yuuri was back as his human self, breathing a little hard from the exertion but smiling all the same. “What did you think?”

“That was amazing!” Victor gushed. “The way you fly is so beautiful, Yuuri!”

Yuuri waved away the praise. “I don’t know about that… Did you have fun, Makka?” he asked. The Opaleye trilled happily, flapping her wings so eagerly that Victor had to set her on the grass so she didn’t hit him with them accidentally. She hopped several times, appearing to be attempting to mimic Yuuri’s takeoff, and he chuckled fondly. “Not yet, little girl,” he said, reaching down to pat her head. “But you’ll be flying soon enough.” He stood up straight once again and immediately felt arms loop around his waist.

Victor pulled Yuuri close into an embrace, content to just hold him after a long day of keeping a polite distance between them in front of Chris. After a moment he felt Yuuri relax against him, arms looping around him in return. “Thank you,” he said quietly. “I really appreciate this.”

Yuuri hummed in acknowledgment. “It was for me, too,” he admitted. He wanted to share this with Victor first, and also wouldn’t have minded having some practice with an experienced rider before taking flight with Chris. He leaned back, catching Victor’s adoring glance for a moment before stealing a quick kiss. “I’m sorry I woke you up.”

Victor grinned. “You can wake me up anytime you want.” He pressed a kiss to Yuuri’s forehead before readjusting his hold on Yuuri to be just one arm around his waist. “Now let’s get back home. You have school in the morning.” Yuuri smiled, leaned snugly against him, and whistled for Makka to follow them home.

* * *

Wednesday morning Yuuri left for school and Victor took Chris out for a little tour of Hasetsu, pointing out the admittedly few places he ventured to if he felt like leaving the inn. Afterwards they returned to his workroom, Victor brewing another batch of star grass salve, a healing potion that soothes minor injuries. Chris, on the other hand, wrote to Georgi about the prospect of taking an extended vacation to rid his mind of Anya and let himself relax. The man did nothing but work and pine after women, surely he had at least a months worth of vacation time saved up.

In the afternoon Victor showed Chris to the baths, leaving his friend to soak in the onsen while he went to meet up with Yuuri at Mahoutokoro. He and Yuuri were interested to find out if they could Apparate to the Quidditch pitch from the staff lounge or if they would have to walk. In addition to testing that out, Victor had a few questions for Satsuki about tomorrows first meeting of the Potions study group.

Though he’d been spotted by a few students when he’d been in the Shunrai Planetarium with Yuuri on Monday, and Professor Satsuki had no doubt mentioned him in class, it seemed some students hadn’t quite believed that he would actually be standing here Thursday afternoon.

“Victor Nikiforov?!” whispered several students when he stepped in to the Potions classroom. “She was SERIOUS?”

“Hello Professor,” he greeted happily, approaching her desk. Students were still filing in, coming from all over the palace, and they planned to give them another five or ten minutes to make it to the classroom.

“Hello Mr. Nikiforov,” she said quickly. “Thank you again for agreeing to do this.”

“It’s my pleasure,” Victor beamed. “I love Potions, and I hope I can help students learn to love it too.”

A half hour after classes officially ended Satsuki stood and addressed the group of students, assuming this was all who planned to attend the groups first meeting. “Good afternoon,” she smiled. “Thank you for coming. I see a lot of familiar faces from last year, but also a few new ones. Welcome! My name is Professor Satsuki, I have had most of you in class, but if you haven’t had a class of mine yet, I am the Senior Potions Professor. I started this study group to help those of you interested in improving your brewing skills, and I am especially excited about working with you this year because… the Wizarding Schools Potions Championship is this year!”

Several of the older students grinned and nudged each other, while the first and second years looked a little lost. “The Potions Championship is held every seven years and is a competition between all eleven magical schools. It began in 1407 in honour of Quintia McQuoid, a Potioneer who unfortunately lost her life to an improperly-brewed cure for ague. The Championship is open to students of all ages, but in addition to looking for skill that reaches competition level, I really don’t feel comfortable letting students under the age of thirteen enter.” There was a chorus of disapointment from the younger students, but Satsuki held her ground, not about to let a seven year old go up against a seventeen year old. “While everyone is welcome in our study session, I want to be upfront about who is elligble to participate in the Championship.”

She let the murmuring die down before she continued. “Now, the Championship is held in a different enchanted garden each year, normally on the grounds of the host school. This year it will be hosted by Uagadou School of Magic in western Uganda. Within the garden will be a number of magical creatures and obstacles which must be overcome with various potions. The grand prize is the Gold Cauldron, and the winner will display their potioneering talents for the crowd. Any questions?”

A girl in the back hurriedly called out, “Is that Victor Nikiforov?”

Victor smiled and waved politely as Satsuki motioned toward him. “Why yes, it is. I was getting to that. Any questions on the competition itself?”

“What is he doing here?” asked a boy in the front row.

“Alright,” she smiled, clearly sensing the celebrity in the room was overshadowing any mention of the Championship. Honestly she couldn’t blame the students, she was in the same boat most of the time. “Class, this is Victor Nikiforov, a well known Potioneer and winner of the 2003 Potions Championship.” Victor was a little surprised to receive _applause_ at this, but smiled gratefully for it. “He has graciously agreed to help me with this years study sessions, for both classroom and championship prep.”

“What?!” wheezed a student, while several others giggled in delight.

“How did – who did – who do I thank?!”

“Why isn’t he helping _Durmstrang_ win?”

“Who cares?! Don’t question it!”

Satsuki cleared her throat to get their attention. “Mr. Nikiforov and I will be having a two hour session every Thursday in my classroom. If there is demand for it, we may do a Tuesday session as well.”

“There’s demand for it!”

Victor chuckled privately while Satsuki nodded. “I thought there might be,” she said, nodding. “We’ll see what the turnout is next week, and if we need to split into two different sections.” Victor had a feeling instead of two groups, several of the students planned to go to _both_ sessions. “Mr. Nikiforov, is there anything you’d like to add?”

Victor stood a little straighter, smiling at the students. “Just that I’m very pleased to be here. I have heard excellent things about Mahoutokoro, and I understand that we have several gifted brewers already.” Some of the upperclassmen sat straighter in their seats, hoping he was referring to them. “I am delighted to pass on what I’ve learned over the years, some tips and tricks of the trade, and I’m also looking forward to learning from you all as well. I’m sure there is a lot of differences in what is taught at Durmstrang verse Mahoutokoro, so please don’t be shy in asking questions or pointing out something you may do differently. I want all of us to help each other grow our skills.”

Satsuki took over once again, passing out a form for the students to fill out for club attendance before taking requests on the first few potions they should go over in the coming meetings. The format was to spend the first hour learning how to prep for and brew a particular potion, and the second hour to go over questions individuals had from their current classes. This first session was simply a meet and greet, and was over before an hour was up. “Thank you all for coming!” Satsuki was saying as the students filed out the door. “Tell your classmates! The more the merrier! And let them know it’s okay to just drop in now and then for exam prep!” There was no attendance requirement, students were able to pop in every week if they liked or only if they needed help with that weeks homework.

When all the students were gone, Satsuki turned to Victor once more. “Thank you again. I really think you’ll be a great help for the students.”

“Thank _you_ ,” Victor said. “I never would have considered doing something like this on my own, but I’m very excited to take part. I know we haven’t started yet, but I can already see why Yuuri enjoys teaching so much.” The excitement in the students faces was encouraging.

“Could I ask you something, Mr. Nikiforov, and you can absolutely feel free to say no…?”

Victor grinned. “You can ask on one condition,” he said.

“What’s that?”

“That you _please_ start calling me Victor, at least when the students aren’t around.”

Satsuki smiled, face a little pink. “Alright. Victor.” She turned to her desk and opened the top drawer, hesitating for a second before apparently deciding to just _go for it_. She pulled out a copy of last March’s _Witch Weekly_ featuring a certain platinum blonde brewer on the cover. “Could you sign this for me?”

Victor couldn’t hold back the laugh, but it was fond and Satsuki took no offense to it. He happily extended a hand to take the magazine and picked up a quill from her desk. “I would love to.”

* * *

Chris left Friday morning, regretfully having to return to work in Switzerland. Over the week they had discussed everything from Mari’s history with the Ministry to their newfound determination to one day expose the existence of dragons. The only problem was, they weren’t quite sure _how_ to do that. Chris left them with the promise that he would give serious thought to their goals, consider if he knew anyone he felt could be brought in for further assistance, and return in December when Yakov and Nikolai were due to visit over the holiday break.

Friday afternoon Victor turned the dragons loose in the sanctuary under the watchful eyes of Opal and Moonstruck before Apparating to Mahoutokoro. This evening were Quidditch tryouts and he was eager to see what the school teams had to offer.

He met Yuuri at his Transfiguration classroom, catching the tail end of lecture and beaming with pride as he watched Yuuri’s class successfully transfigure their quills into a large flock of finches. The looks of pride on the student’s faces was enough to make Victor melt.

“Yuuri!” he called as the class ended and students poured out of the room, most ignoring him in their hurry to get to their common rooms but a few doing double takes. “Can we go to the Quidditich pitch now?”

Yuuri glanced at the clock on the wall. “It’s too early, Victor,” he chuckled. “Tryouts don’t start for another two hours.”

“Please?” he all but begged. “I want to get there early so we don’t miss a thing!”

With a fond sigh Yuuri nodded, asking, “Just give me a few minutes, okay?” He finished jotting notes down for Monday’s lecture and organized his desk, seeing Victor vibrating with excitement out of the corner of his eye. Finally he took pity on him and rose from his chair. “Alright, let’s head down.” They discovered they could not, in fact, Apparate to the field, so they would be taking a short walk. Victor excitedly grabbed Yuuri’s hand and towed him quickly through the school, Yuuri too impressed at the fact he knew where he was going to be embarrasssed about essentially holding hands in front of any students in the halls.

To Victor’s disappointment it began to rain when they’d gotten half way to the field. “Oh no,” he pouted. “Do you think they’ll reschedule?” It was only tryouts, not an official practice, maybe they would be lenient.

“Reschedule Quidditch?” laughed Yuuri. He wasn’t a fan of sports but even he knew that wasn’t likely. “It would take more than a little rain for that to happen.” He conjured umbrellas for the two of them and continued on. “Do you know how Mahoutokoro learned how to play Quidditch?” he asked.

Victor frowned, thinking it over. “…No,” he admitted. He didn’t really know how _any_ school learned Quidditch. They had always just played it in his mind, since the dawn of time. Maybe he should have listened to Yakov when he pestered Victor to read _Quidditch Through the Ages._ Victor had been too busy winning games and flashing pearly smiles to bother reading about the sport. He thought he had known anything worth knowing about it.

“It’s kind of a funny story,” Yuuri said. “Centuries ago there was this group of Hogwarts students that were trying to fly around the world on broomsticks. But we aren’t talking about Firebolts here. We’re talking _centuries old_ broomsticks. Completely inadequate for a global trip. They were blown off course and found by some of the professors of Mahoutokoro. I think it was back before the Planetarium was built, and they were out observing the movements of the planets and came across the stranded students. They stayed long enough to teach the basics of the game to our professors, and it was really popular. Those students probably regretted introducing it to us, to be honest. It was only a few decades later that we went from never hearing of the sport to the Japanese National team winning the World Cup.”

“No way!” beamed Victor. He knew Japan’s teams were some of the best in the world, but he hadn’t known they’d taken to the game and mastered it so quickly.

“And we’ve been winning ever since,” Yuuri grinned.

“Excuse me, Russia won the last cup, thank you,” Victor laughed. “Japan didn’t even make it to the final four.”

Yuuri glowered playfully at him. “Only because a bludger knocked our best seeker out for the season and we had to have Fujiwara fill in. He’s too inexperienced!”

“Aha!” Victor cheered gleefully, pointing at Yuuri. “I thought you said you don’t follow magical sports!”

“I-” Yuuri tripped over his words. “I _don’t_. Not really. But I do have to listen to Dad and Minako talk over dinner. I know enough to hold my own in a conversation.”

Victor smirked. “You like Quidditich. You can admit it.”

Yuuri sighed. “I never said I _didn’t_ like it. I just said I don’t religiously watch it.”

They bickered lightheartedly until they reached the field, and waited for the students to arrive. Many came early to get some practice in before tryouts, and they watched curiously as the students looped around the field and practiced diving for the snitch, the rain not seeming to bother them at all.

When tryouts were finished, the hopefuls left for the castle while the returning players stuck around. Two of the four teams stayed on the Quidditch pitch to practice and the other two took to their brooms. “Where are they going?” asked Victor.

“It would be too crowded for them all to practice here,” Yuuri explained. “Typically only one or two practice with the goals and the others practice over the sea.”

“In this weather?” asked Victor incredulously.

Yuuri smiled. “Mhmm.” He pulled his wand out and with a flourish conjured two brooms. “Come on. I know were Toppuu usually practices.” He mounted his broom and kicked off, Victor following after him. Yuuri lead them around the palace and to the south side of the island. The rain was coming down harder now, but Yuuri just set a water repelling charm on his glasses and continued on, unphased. Victor was used to training in all types of weather, but hadn’t expected Yuuri to be comfortable in it as well.

At the cliffside they looked out to see the players of Toppuu doing speed drills and practicing their diving, racing toward the turbulent sea and pulling up from their descent with inches to spare. Victor suddenly understood Mahoutokoro’s outstanding reputation for Quidditch as he observed some of the grueling training conditions their players faced.

“Not only do they have to keep an eye out for Bludgers,” said Yuuri, “But also for planes from the Muggle airbase on a nearby island. All of the members of the National Team attribute their skills to their time training here at school.”

Victor was stunned for a moment before his dumbfounded expression turned to one of pure determination. He may have only been brought on for a referee, but if the players were willing, he’d love to work with them. Combining their training techniques…he could make these players unstoppable.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Keep an eye out for an addition to the Bonus Scenes :)


	4. Meanwhile, in Switzerland

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chris goes home to tell Masumi all about his trip to Japan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case you were missing Chris :)

Meanwhile, in Switzerland

As soon as Chris arrived home he dropped his bags on the living room couch and made a beeline for the bedroom. “Masumi!” he called on the way. Seeing as it was near four in the morning, he shouldn’t have been too surprised when he didn’t receive an answer.

Pushing through the bedroom door, he happily leaped onto the bed, and onto the sleeping man upon it as well. “Mrmph,” came a disgruntled voice.

“Good morning,” Chris purred, snuggling close. “Did you miss me, mon cheri?” There was a lot of shifting beneath him as Masumi struggled to roll over onto his back, eyes still firmly closed.

“Mhmm,” he hummed tiredly, freeing a hand from the covers to reach out and pat Chris affectionately. “I thought you were coming home in the morning…?”

“It is the morning,” Chris laughed. “Well, I suppose it is a little early here. It was nearly noon when I left Japan.”

Masumi weakly patted around for the edge of the comforter. “Come lie down,” he yawned.

“My love, I couldn’t possibly sleep right now. I have so much to tell you!”

His eyes finally cracked open. “The sun isn’t even up yet,” he protested. “Go back to sleep.” Chris pouted and started pushing up to get off the bed before he felt arms loop around his shoulders and pull him back down to Masumi’s chest. “Back to sleep,” he repeated, pressing a lazy kiss to Chris’s cheek before his eyes slipped shut again. Chris smiled and settled in for a nap.

* * *

Once the sun was in the sky and coffee was brewing, Masumi was much more interested in hearing how Chris’s trip went. “So Victor really did move to Japan?” he asked. “He wasn’t just on vacation there and teasing you?”

“He did!” grinned Chris. “Masumi, you won’t believe what our dear Victor has gotten himself into now.” His boyfriend raised an eyebrow, curious. “Shall I start with the adorable boyfriend he’s living with?”

Masumi’s eyes widened. “Living with already?” he asked. “Hasn’t he only been there a few months?”

“Apparently a psychic foretold a happy ending for them so they’re cutting a few corners,” Chris said, laughing at the growing look of surprise on his boyfriend’s face. “Also, that man’s family runs an inn, and that’s where Victor is staying.”

Masumi let out a relieved sigh. “You might want to lead with that next time.”

“But it’s not nearly as fun that way,” Chris laughed. “Anyway, his name is Yuuri, and he’s absolutely perfect for Victor. He’s kind and caring and smart, gorgeous yet completely oblivious of the fact, and of course just as smitten with Victor as Victor is with him. Watching them fumble over their crushes was so enjoyable.”

Masumi, well aware of Chris’s flirtatious attitude, didn’t bat an eye at the ‘gorgeous’ comment. Rather, he was more interested in, “Do we owe Victor any apologies? You didn’t tease either of them too badly, did you?”

Chris smirked, sliding up against Masumi beside the kitchen island. “I may have flustered him a little when I asked to ride his boyfriend.” It said a lot about the trust in their relationship for Masumi’s reaction to only be an exasperated sigh and a look for Chris to just elaborate already, not falling for the bait. “No reaction?” he laughed.

Masumi wrapped his arms loosely around Chris’s hips. “I’m not worried,” he said, leaning back against the counter. “I know you better than that. But what I don’t know is why you would tease that in front of someone you just met?” Victor knew not to take Chris too seriously, but it might have made the new boyfriend uncomfortable.

Chris’s smile only grew. “Because I wanted to fly on a dragon!”

Finally the ever placid Masumi looked shocked. “What?” he asked.

“Yuuri is a dragon animagus,” Chris said, delighting in one of the rare times he’s managed to really catch his lover off guard. “And not only that, but he finds and rescues actual dragons in the wild.”

“But those don’t-“

“Yes they do exist, and he has them. I saw them myself. And this is so _Victor_ it kills me, my love, but he is _raising_ four baby dragons with Yuuri.” He looked expectantly at Masumi, but his boyfriend seemed too confused to give any good reaction.

“…I need more information,” he finally said.

Chris laughed. “I’d be happy to explain,” he said. “And unlike Victor, I’m going to skip right to the good stuff. So, like I was saying, Yuuri can fly…”

* * *

Previous Wednesday Afternoon

As soon as Yuuri was home he changed into his comfy black robes and Apparated to the field. Victor and Chris had been out there since noon, helping Mari feed the adults and then going to the nursery to play with the babies. The more time he spent with the dragons, the more comfortable Chris was feeling with them. Kou in particular, the first to have approached him Monday, apparently claimed Chris as her own and kept close to him, frequently seeking pats on the head and rubbing against his leg to return the affection.

“She’s like a large, scaly cat,” Chris laughed, finding comfort in the similarities to his own pet back home. He patted his chest lightly to welcome her to jump up, and eagerly she stood on her back legs, front paws landing on his chest as she leaned forward to sniff at him. He still wasn’t too sure about having those fangs near his head, but he smiled and leaned back enough that she couldn’t reach his face. Her iridescent scales caught the afternoon sun, her side glittering into a rainbow of colors. “Aren’t you pretty,” Chris cooed.

Victor turned at the _crack_ of Yuuri arriving. “Hello,” he beamed, reaching out to give Yuuri a quick one armed hug and peck to the cheek. “How was school?”

“Fine,” he said. “They’re almost to the point they can successfully turn their quills to finches. By Friday I think they’ll all have it down. I wanted to work on their confidence first, after this week we will have to work on speed. We can’t spend three class periods on each spell, but this was a good way to ease them into the year I think.” He smiled and looked to Chris. “How are you liking our dragons?”

Chris beamed, urging Kou back to the ground and patting her head. “I adore them,” he said. “They’re such sweethearts.”

Victor nodded in agreement. “They take after Yuuri,” as if that explained everything. Yuuri rolled his eyes playfully.

“Did you still want to try flying?” he asked. Chris nodded eagerly. “Alright. Let me just get the girls situated first.” The little dragons still weren’t thrilled to go all day without Yuuri, so for the first half hour or so he laid in the grass and let them pile onto him. He sent little bursts of _I missed you too_ and _love_ their way, laughing as they licked and stepped all over him.

Once they were again reassured Yuuri would always return for them, Yuuri whistled loudly in the direction of the caves. After a few beats a roar answered him, and a moment later Vicchan came trotting out, stretching his wings in the sun as he made his way over. Yuuri held out a hand and the dragon went immediately to him, pressing its snout into his palm. Yuuri ran his hand along Vicchan’s scales to his neck, rubbing affectionately. “Hi Vicchan,” he grinned. “I hope I didn’t wake you up.”

Chris was still intimidated by the larger dragons. “Is Victor riding Vicchan?” he asked, privately hoping he wasn’t going to be assigned the dragon himself. Victor, while very pleased with the impromptu flight last night, still had a little bit of a frown to his expression, but before he could say anything Yuuri answered.

“You’re both coming with me,” Yuuri said. “Vicchan is going to watch the girls.” While it was unlikely they’d manage to get into too much trouble in the field, Yuuri preferred to leave someone with them, even if that someone wasn’t human. “Can you babysit, Vicchan?” he asked, still stroking the brown dragon. He felt a wave of happiness from the dragon, seemingly pleased to be summoned for playtime with the little ones. “Thank you.”

Chris leaned over to whisper to Victor, “You failed to mention he can talk to them.”

Did no one appreciate all the detailed information Victor _did_ manage to convey? “That’s because he can’t actually _talk_ to them,” he said in his defense. “They pick up on the emotions and intentions of his words, but they can’t have true conversations.” Vicchan was called over to the group, saw Yuuri glancing from him to the babies, felt his slight worry over them being left alone, and figured out he was meant to stand guard and keep them occupied.

Chris was still impressed. “Is there anything your boyfriend can’t do?”

“Nope,” beamed Victor.

After Yuuri shooed the girls off toward Vicchan, he walked over to Victor and Chris. “Okay. So, just a few laps around the field?” he asked. “I just want to make sure we’re all comfortable and expecting the same thing.”

“Just a few?” pouted Chris while Victor pleaded, “Can’t we fly like last night?”

“Last night?” asked Chris. “You went without me?” He looked more offended than he actually felt, not surprised at all that Victor had apparently snuck in some time with Yuuri.

“We needed to do a test flight,” Yuuri hurried to say as Victor came to stand by his side. “I’d never flown with anyone before. We didn’t want you to get hurt.”

“Mhmm,” Chris hummed, looking at Victor with a smirk. “It was for safety reasons, huh?”

“Yes,” he said, wrapping an arm around Yuuri’s waist. “Safety reasons.”

“Shall we get to it?” asked Yuuri, glancing between them. “Vitya, I’ll need some space to transform,” he pointed out, gently pulling out of his grip. “You’ll show Chris how to mount me?” Victor’s face twitched and Chris laughed, Victor clearly not a fan of this phrasing any more than he had been with Chris asking to ride Yuuri, but his boyfriend said it with such oblivious innocence he couldn’t do anything but nod.

They stepped back a few more paces to give Yuuri plenty of room, and soon the wizard was gone and replaced with a large blue dragon. Even knowing it was Yuuri, Chris felt awestruck as the sheer size of him, the sharp talons on his paws and the powerful tail idly swishing back and forth in excitement.

“Alright,” Victor began, approaching Yuuri without any hesitation. Yuuri knelt onto one knee, sweeping his wing out of the way, looking over his shoulder at the two of them. “Step onto his leg, other foot onto the joint of his wing, and hop up.” He did so as he spoke, seating himself on Yuuri’s back and scooting closer up to his neck. “See? Easy. Now you try. First step on his hind leg…”

Chris couldn’t imagine trying this on a dragon that _wasn’t_ a human at heart. Were they crazy? How had they even started this habit of flying on dragons? Still, he approached slowly, resting his hands on Yuuri’s scaly side as he stepped up. Once relatively comfortable, he took the next step, and with both feet on the dragon he jumped up, scrambling on his belly to wiggle his way up to Yuuri’s back, far less graceful than Victor had made it look.

“It takes some practice,” Victor said, knowing how Chris felt, as he used to struggle to mount Vicchan in the beginning. “Now, at first, I always felt the need to cling to Vicchan with everything I had, but I’ve gotten used to how he flies. Yuuri’s very similar, with the added bonus we can yell for him to slow down and he’ll understand right away. I really only need to grip with my legs, but since it’s your first flight, I’d recommend you hold onto me.” Victor leaned forward and wrapped his arms around Yuuri’s neck, pressing a quick kiss to the scales there and making the dragon huff out a breath of steam in amusement.

“Shouldn’t I be holding onto Yuuri?” asked Chris. “For added stability?”

Victor shot him a look over his shoulder. “You hold onto me, _I’ll_ hold onto Yuuri. It’s better this way. For safety reasons.” The dragon snorted.

“…Safety reasons,” Chris echoed back, smirking once again. “Okay cheri, you know best.” He scooted forward and wrapped his arms around Victor’s waist. He gripped the scaly hide with his legs, amazed to feel each breath so clearly as the large animal inhaled and exhaled steadily.

Victor gave Yuuri’s neck a quick squeeze. “Okay Yuuri,” he called. “Let’s fly!” The dragon crouched down, shifted a bit, then pushed off into the air. Chris immediately attempted to squeeze the life out of Victor, or at least that’s what it felt like. “Start slow!” he called, and the dragon grunted an acknowledgement.

They flew in low, lazy circles around the field. Chris gradually lightened his death grip as he forgot his fear and let enjoyment take over. As they passed over the little dragons Yuuri playfully shot bursts of steam at them, low enough for them to jump and bite at it. Vicchan sent back a breath of flames, clearly not trying to hit them but making Chris gasp into the back of Victor’s robes all the same.

After a few passes Yuuri flew a little higher, a little faster, and when there were no complaints after another couple of circles he went a little higher again. He decided not to do any spins or rolls today, Chris still a little too new to flight and even with Victor there Yuuri didn’t want to spook him or throw him off accidentally.

Holding tight to Victor still, Chris said over the rushing air, “This is unbelievable.”

“Isn’t it?” Victor beamed, looking over his shoulder as best he could. “My Yuuri is so graceful when he flies.”

“I can’t believe Your Yuuri is a dragon,” Chris said, three days of this knowledge not enough time for the shock to wear off. “After all this time you found them… I honestly thought you never would, Victor. Not that I didn’t want you to, but…I just truly didn’t believe they were real.” He humored Victor, reading some of the books with him and letting his friend ramble on and on about them, but he always believed at the end of the day it was a fun hobby that wouldn’t lead anywhere in the long run.

“I dreamed of a million different ways I’d find them,” Victor said. “Hiking mountains, exploring caves, clues left in old books… Never did I once consider a cute Japanese boy would take me home, introduce me to his family, and ask me to help raise four little dragons with him.” Victor sighed happily, romanticizing the details a bit. “It’s beyond a dream come true…”

Chris glanced up toward Yuuri, the dragon seemingly unable to hear them over the roar of the wind, looking focused on flying and glancing down often at the little dragons below them. “You really like this boy, don’t you?” he asked quietly.

Victor’s eyes sparkled. “Oh Chris, I’m fairly certain I _love_ this boy.” It had only been a few months, but Victor wasn’t worried about that. “If what we’ve been through wasn’t enough to convince me, I can’t forget the fact his psychic best friend has had multiple visions of our happily ever after.” That just reaffirmed in Victor’s mind he was right where he was meant to be.

“What?!” gasped Chris. “Why didn’t you mention that earlier?!”

Rather than snapping that they had been focused on the dragons like Chris expected, Victor responded with, “Because I thought it was obvious!” At Chris’s silence Victor added, “Yuuri and I are _clearly_ meant for each other, I didn’t think I had to spell it out for you, Chris!”

Chris blinked in surprise before he grinned. “No, you’re right,” he laughed. “It is obvious.”

After a few more turns around the field Yuuri began to fly lower, gradually spiraling down until his clawed feet landed on the earth. Makka and the triplets ran for them, trilling in excitement. Victor helped Chris slide down Yuuri’s massive body before hurriedly getting down himself, kneeling and catching Makkachin as she leaped into his arms. “Did you like watching Yuuri fly?” he asked, and she wiggled in glee. “I’m sorry we didn’t take you this time.” He lowered his voice, whispering, “You didn’t tell the triplets about last night, did you?”

Beside him, Yuuri was human again. “Luckily I don’t think she could tell them if she wanted to,” Yuuri laughed, certain that complex of a statement would be difficult to pass on. He glanced to Chris. “What did you think?”

“It was amazing,” Chris said. “ _You_ are amazing. Victor is so lucky to have you.”

Yuuri’s cheeks turned pink. “Oh – I wouldn’t go that far –“

“I would,” Victor said, slipping his arms around Yuuri’s waist from behind and pulling him close to his chest.

Yuuri blushed, and while he might have returned the embrace if Chris wasn’t here, he gave Victor’s arms a quick squeeze before stepping away to put a polite distance between them. “Thank you, Vitya, but it was just a simple flight…” Victor went to respond but Hisa and Ai began begging for Yuuri’s attention. “You’ll be flying soon,” he cooed, kneeling to pet them. “Maybe Vitya and I can start taking you with us one at a time, hm? Get you used to being up in the air?” That was something they could offer the girls no dragon could. Yuuri continued fussing over the baby dragons while Victor was content to just watch, smiling fondly at them. Chris had never seen that little gleam in his best friends eyes, and realized he didn’t think Victor had even been so in love before now.

* * *

By now Chris and Masumi had relocated to the living room, Chris leaning against the couch’s arm, legs extended so his feet were resting in Masumi’s lap. “And _then_ ,” he was saying, “They get a call late in the night from their friends in America that they’ve found this secret warehouse hideout in the middle of Detroit! So they all go over there, and Yuuri distracts everyone by turning into a rampaging dragon so that Victor and Phichit and everyone can Apparate away with all the eggs. And they have dozens of them at this point, Masumi, just eggs everywhere! So they build this nursery…”

Masumi listened intently as Chris went on and on, stars in his eyes as he recounted every detail of his trip to Hasetsu. He found a lot of this hard to believe, but though he did know Chris to exaggerate and tease, he didn’t appear to be setting Masumi up for a big joke. He sounded sincere, and excited, and a little bit in disbelief too even as he tried to explain it to his boyfriend. Masumi couldn’t remember seeing Chris this excited about something in a long time.

“…and you _have_ to come with me next time, darling, the babies are _so cute_. And you have to try flying with Yuuri, don’t let Victor stop you! He needs to learn to share.”

Masumi squeezed Chris’s feet lightly. “Let Victor be clingy. We should be grateful he found someone to cling to in the first place. He’s been so isolated for so long.” The fame that came with his success made it hard for him to have a normal social life.

Chris nodded. “True. Yuuri really is a miracle. Victor can be a bit much for some people.”

“That’s funny coming from you,” Masumi chuckled.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” asked Chris with a laugh.

“Only that a certain someone might also be described as _a bit much_ by some people.” Before Chris could pout Masumi added, “I personally can’t get enough of you though.”

Chris beamed. “Thank you darling. I feel the same way.” Masumi squeezed the feet in his lap again. “And speaking of unwavering devotion-“

“Uh, that escalated quickly,” laughed Masumi in confusion.

“-this brings us to my assignment from Victor and Yuuri.”

“I missed something here. When did you get an assignment?”

Chris happily continued on. “The nursery is going to be very crowded very soon,” he said. “The eggs will begin hatching any day now, and they have way too many to realistically take care of by themselves. Yuuri is thinking about reaching out to some friends for help, but seeing as dragons are a sensitive topic, he can’t just go asking anyone. In the meantime, he’s working on a plan to release some of the older dragons.”

“Uh huh,” Masumi nodded. “And what does that have to do with you?”

“Well… two things, really. First, he would like for me to help find a safe place to set some dragons free. He has a Swedish Short Snout that he would like to find a home for, preferably in Sweden, but he’s open to other possibilities.”

“He knows we live nowhere near Sweden, right?”

Chris ignored him. “Second, and this is the fun part, my love,” he smiled. “They are planning to make the world aware of dragons. It’s still a far off goal, but they’re thinking ahead in terms of damage control.”

“Why don’t I like the sound of this…?” Masumi muttered.

“Eventually, the public will be aware of dragons. Logically we have to assume some people will go looking for them. Victor and Yuuri want to get a head start.” Masumi looked questioningly at him. “You see, they know where most of the dragons are, the Ministry keeps tabs on them. With Mari’s instructions I could go to Sweden, find the area the dragons are supposed to be in, and see how hard it is for the common person to track them down.”

Masumi blinked at him. “They want you to go to a foreign country, track down a formerly impossible to find mythical creature, and let them know how it goes? Not to mention the fact it’s a _deadly_ mythical creature?”

“Darling don’t be silly,” Chris laughed. “They didn’t ask me to, I volunteered!” Masumi sighed. “Listen, it’s completely safe,” he promised. “I go to the area, take down the protective charms, and just see how easy it is for the average person to stumble upon a dragon. We need to make sure once they’re public knowledge that we know what might happen to children and other unprepared wizards who foolishly go looking for them.”

“So you foolishly go looking for them instead?” asked Masumi. “Why you?”

“Because I am gifted when it comes to charms,” he said proudly. “Victor may be The World’s Best Potioneer, Durmstrang Dueling Champion, Quidditch prodigy and whatever else, but he never had a handle on charms the way I do. Slipping past the Ministry’s protections will be child’s play for me. Finally I can do more than charm snitches and Sneakoscopes.”

“Hey,” Masumi cooed. “Without your metal charming, Quidditch prodigies like Victor wouldn’t have snitches to catch and show off with.” Chris’s talents with charms lead to him securing an uncommon career in metal charming, which involved imbuing metalcraft with certain magical properties. Magic spells usually disengage once the caster dies, which would leave their enchanted items like snitches useless. Obviously customers would be very unhappy if their purchases had an expiration date, especially if that were to happen unexpectedly due to an untimely death. (Through the centuries there had been many Quidditch wins come under scrutiny when the snitch just fell from the sky during the match, and a team’s seeker simply plucked it off the grass and won.) Chris was skilled enough with his charms to be trained to work the metal in such a way where the magic infused in the items would remain even after he was long gone. Metal charmers such as Chris had become a necessary but often forgotten line of work. Witches and wizards just simply expected their products to work indefinitely and gave little thought to how.

“Mon coeur,” Masumi pressed. “You have a very unique and very valuable gift with charms. Anyone can brew a potion. Victor is talented, of course, but it’s not exactly a rare talent, is it? We all learn to brew. We don’t all have the power to create such lasting enchantments. If Victor closed up shop tomorrow and ran off with Yuuri to raise all their dragons in the middle of nowhere, the world would have one less boutique brewer but they would move on easily enough. If you stopped working? We would fall apart.”

“I highly doubt that,” Chris laughed. “But do go on and tell me how desperate you are for me. I never get tired of hearing it.”

Masumi laughed and ran a hand from Chris’s ankle up his calf in affectionate strokes. “There are only so many metal charmers at work these days. If you left, imagine how backlogged your shop would be? Maybe things like Sneakoscopes would go unnoticed, but snitches? Pensieves? Imagine if the Ministry didn’t have people like you to replace all the Time-Turners Potter broke back in the 90s?”

Chris laughed. “I forgot about that. It was a poor idea on the Ministry’s part to keep their entire supply all in one cabinet, but I suppose they didn’t expect a bunch of kids to be running amok in the Department of Mysteries… My boss says that was the most profitable year the company ever had! I can’t imagine what that workload must have been like…” They had the rare request for Time-Turner’s now and then, but apparently they received an order for six dozen all at once. They had stopped production of almost everything else to accommodate the lucrative order, including self-stirring cauldrons, collapsible cauldrons, and many other school items parents took for granted. Demand, and subsequently prices, for school supplies had skyrocketed that year and most were completely unaware of the cause.

“But you see what I’m saying?” Masumi asked. “There might not be fancy competitions or awards given out for your skill, but it’s a practical one the wizarding community relies on without even realizing it.”

Chris smiled. “I love you.”

Masumi huffed. “I love you too, but that’s not why I’m saying this, Christophe. I _mean_ it, even if we weren’t romantically involved I would still find you incredibly impressive.”

“But it’s just so much better that we _are_ romantically involved,” Chris grinned, pulling his feet out of Masumi’s grasp to instead crawl over the couch cushion to sit in his lap. “Because I don’t have to hide how much I adore when you come to my rescue, even when entirely unnecessary.” He pulled Masumi in for a quick kiss. “I _know_ the value of my skill. I only meant if it came to working with sneakoscopes or dragons, I’m obviously going to choose dragons.”

Masumi settled his hands on Chris’s hips, thumbs affectionately rubbing back and forth in light strokes. “I see. So…this won’t be a onetime thing?” he asked. “I thought you were going to Sweden, seeing how it goes, and reporting back? Are you planning on doing this more than once?”

“I don’t know, darling, we’ll have to see what happens. Maybe once is enough, maybe not. Even if they don’t need to see how long it takes me to find dragons again, they may need help scouting out places to set them free. It’s a whole new world here, love. No one knows what’s coming.”

“That’s exactly what I’m worried about,” he frowned. “Your charms are one thing, but your defensive magic leaves something to be desired…”

Chris was aware. It was why he’d needed to drag Victor along with him on that mountain trip months ago. “Conveniently I am dating one of Switzerland’s finest Aurors.” Masumi’s eyes widened in realization. “Someone so _brave_ and _strong_ could surely keep little old me safe while wandering through a forest or two, hm?” he purred, leaning down again to kiss at Masumi’s jaw.

“Okay. I should have seen this coming.”

Chris grinned against his skin, moving to nip at his ear. “You’ll come with me, won’t you darling?”

Masumi instinctively tilted his head to give Chris better access, eyes fluttering shut. “You just took a week off work,” he reminded Chris. “How are you going to convince them to give you…who knows how long this time to go adventuring off in Sweden?”

“I’ll think of something,” he assured him.

“And I can’t just go gallivanting off in the middle of nowhere for no seemingly no reason,” he pointed out. “You know how paperwork crazy the Ministry can be, especially for Aurors. I have to put my request in at least a month before. I have to tell them where I’m going, and why…I can’t just disappear. They’ll send someone after me, and then if Swizterland’s Ministry isn’t already in on this dragon underworld we apparently have, they soon would be. And I’m _not_ going to let that be _my_ fault.”

Chris sat up, smiling down at Masumi. “Already so protective of them. I knew you’d help me.”

“I’m protective of _you_ ,” he emphasized, though in truth he really didn’t want to be the cause of yet another government going after these magical creatures. He leaned back into the couch with a sigh. “…There’s really dragons?” He only had Chris’s word to go on, but honestly that was enough for him.

“Yes.”

“And you’re going to do this crazy recon mission in Sweden whether I like it or not?”

“I would prefer you to like it, but…yes.”

Masumi sighed again. “…Okay.”

“Okay?” asked Chris.

“Okay, we will go to Sweden. We will be the guinea pigs and see what happens when idiots decide to go dragon hunting with zero experience. But you have to wait for me. I will put in a formal request for leave in the morning. It’ll take about a month before I can get away. I’ll think of a reason to give them tonight.”

Chris beamed and snuggled up to him once again. “Tell them you’re taking your boyfriend on a romantic getaway. It’ll give you a perfect reason to be impossible to get a hold of. Anyone would believe you if you said I didn’t let you out of bed to answer an owl.”

Masumi rolled his eyes. “I am not putting that on any official document, Christophe.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Exciting adventures await Chris and Masumi! 
> 
> Next week, Georgi arrives in Hasetsu!


	5. Late September/Early October

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Georgi arrives in Hasetsu!

Late September

Georgi wrote back and agreed he could use some time away from St. Mungo’s to let his aching heart grieve the loss of his true love. He had enough vacation time to spend the entire month of October with them.

“Should we tell him in advance about the dragons?” asked Yuuri. “I know I said not to send it in a letter, but we could do a fire-call or something.” While they normally used the fireplaces for traveling via Floo Powder, now and then guests did just stick their heads in and chat without fully going to the destination.

“Georgi is definitely someone we need to tell in person,” Victor said. “There’s no telling how he’ll react and I don’t want him to get carried away and say something accidentally.” While he was sure Georgi would never intentionally leak their secret, he did tend to wail on and on about personal issues more than average, and Victor didn’t want _and to top it off, I wasn’t the one Victor told first about the dragons_ to be included in one of his pity parties.

Yuuri nodded in agreement and went back to grading homework at the dining room table. The fourth week of classes had just begun and his students were now fully transitioned from reviewing to learning new material. Victor was beside him, two potion books propped up before him while he jotted down notes for this week’s study session. Satsuki had given him the list of potions students had requested help with and he was tasked with putting them into a schedule. Tuesday would be a potion relevant to first through fifth years, and Thursday was for the more advanced levels, though all were welcome to join either day.

“I’m thinking the Forgetfulness Potion for Tuesday and Polyjuice Potion for Thursday. Do you think that’s jumping in too deep too fast? Polyjuice can be a bit sticky if they make a mistake…”

“Just keep an eye on them and they’ll be fine,” assured Yuuri. “You have a good amount of upperclassmen don’t you? They can handle it.”

Victor hummed in agreement and penciled the potions in the schedule.

“Did you ask about the Quidditch training?” asked Yuuri.

“Mhm,” nodded Victor. “I asked Satsuki if she could get me in contact with the captains of each team. We’re going to all meet on Tuesday before the study session. I know houses usually train separately, but it would be impossible for me to go to all of the teams trainings. I’m going to see if we could work something out.”

* * *

October

Georgi arrived the first of October via Floo Powder, and with him came more luggage than even Victor had, which was saying something as Victor now _lived_ _there_ full time.

“Georgi!” he beamed, hurrying to hug his friend before helping him dust off a bit of lingering soot. “Let me help you with those bags.” He pulled out his wand and gave it a quick flick, and the many bags levitated in preparation for following them to his guest room. Before the guided tour to his room though he turned to motion to Yuuri who was patiently standing a little ways down from the chimneys. “Georgi, this is Yuuri, his family owns the inn. Yuuri, this is Georgi, one of my oldest friends from Durmstrang.”

“Pleased to meet you,” Yuuri smiled, and Georgi replied with, “You too, thank you for inviting me. I needed to get away from that hospital.”

“Hopefully we can take your mind off of it for a while,” he said. “Follow me to your room.” He started down the hall and the two followed after, the luggage floating along behind them.

Georgi was settled in one of the largest guest rooms. It was in an area off limits to the dragons so there was little chance of him discovering them before Victor and Yuuri had a chance to prepare him. With a swish of his wand he set his belongings to start unpacking themselves and settling into the drawers of the furniture and hanging themselves up in the closet. “Traveling is so exhausting,” he said.

Deciding to make dinner an easy event, they chose to eat in Yu-Topia’s dining room. Georgi asked all about the onsen and neighboring attractions before getting down to business.

“Victor mentioned your family needs part-time help for a while?” he began.

“Yes,” Yuuri nodded. “My mother has a little ingredient business on the side. We haven’t been able to staff it ourselves as we normally would since the inn has been so busy lately. We were hoping to find someone interested in helping us out. Victor thought you might enjoy it after the high-stress atmosphere of the hospital.”

Georgi nodded. “I’ve never done anything like it before, but I’m sure I could handle it.” He asked a little more about what it sold and where it was located, and Yuuri offered to have Hiroko walk him through it the next day.

When it grew late they went their separate ways, Georgi to his room and Yuuri and Victor to the sanctuary to pick up the girls. They alternated being leaving them with Vicchan for individualized attention and dropping them in the nursery for them to get used to other dragons their age and sharing the attention of their guardians.

Today they were in the nursery, and with a quick tap of his wand Victor sent the boulders rolling aside for him and Yuuri to enter. Inside, their four were scattered around the enclosed area. Makka was atop three eggs, light enough they weren’t concerned by this, and was enjoying the hot steam from Azura as she breathed on both Makka and the eggs. Hisa and Kou were playing what appeared to be a dragon’s version of tag with several other little ones, while Ai was sleeping beside the remaining babies.

Yuuri went to whistle for them when Victor gently put a hand on his arm to get his attention. “What if we left them here tonight?” he asked.

Yuuri blinked owlishly in surprise. “You mean…all night?” Victor nodded. “Well… I suppose. I don’t have class tomorrow, so if I don’t sleep well it won’t be a big deal…” He had stayed overnight in the sanctuary before when the girls refused to leave Vicchan. Victor had been worried about Yuuri letting his guard down around the adult dragons, but Yuuri insisted if he stayed in his sui riu form all night he would be fine, which he was.

Victor chuckled softly. “I meant alone,” he said, laughing at the even more incredulous look on his boyfriend’s face.

“ _Alone?”_ he asked.

“Well not really alone,” Victor corrected. He looked around the nursery. “Azura is here, and she’ll probably stay for awhile. And Libelle,” he added, looking over to the teal wyrm curled up around two sets of eggs. Legless and wingless, she was a beautiful, gigantic serpent. “She’ll be here all night.” Unable to fly, she could only come and go when the boulders were opened, and was usually content to stay on either side for a few days at a time, as long she was regularly fed.

“I don’t know,” Yuuri hedged.

“The other little ones are here every night and they survive,” Victor pointed out. When Yuuri continued to hesitate, Victor took both his hands in his, squeezing lightly. “They’ll be fine, Yuuri. They’ll love it. All kids want a sleepover with friends, right?” They had quickly taken to the rescued hatchlings and occasionally whined when the couple came to pick them up in the evening.

“…Alright,” he agreed. “But I’m going to keep a crystal ball on my bedside table so I can look in on them.” Frequently. Hourly? Yuuri wasn’t sure he was going to sleep at all tonight. “Let me at least say goodnight,” he sighed, but before he took more than a step Victor squeezed his hands again, pulling him to a stop.

“It may be best if they don’t see us,” Victor said. “Right now they aren’t thinking about us. If we just let them continue, I think they’ll tire themselves out and go to sleep just fine.” Yuuri looked supremely unhappy with that plan. “We can check on them to see if they start whining, but I think they’ll do just fine.”

“Okay,” he said, stepping back to Victor’s side. “I’m sure the triplets will keep an eye on little Makka…”

“Of course they will,” smiled Victor, letting go of Yuuri’s hands to instead put a hand at the small of his waist, leading him back through the boulders. “We can come first thing in the morning to get them.”

* * *

Back at Yu-Topia, Yuuri listed off all the things that could go wrong as they walked down the hall to their rooms, anxiety kicking in full swing. “They could get too cold, they could get too hot, they could be hungry, they could get lonely – what if one of the more aggressive adults flies in?”

“First of all, the aggressive ones are male, and mostly uninterested in the nursery. Second of all, if one decided to go in there for some reason, Azura and Libelle won’t let them do anything to the babies. Just _relax_.”

Yuuri reached his room, putting one hand on the doorframe as he shot a look at Victor. “You know I expected _you_ to be the one most reluctant to leave them.”

“I don’t _want_ to leave them, but they’re growing fast and they love the new arrivals. And like I said, kids like sleepovers. I’m not saying we do this every night, but they do have to get used to being in the sanctuary without us. I mean we can’t have all four in the inn when they’re fully grown, can we?”

“…No,” Yuuri agreed. “I’m sorry. You’re right.” He stepped into his room, pointedly ignoring the empty bed on the floor and going to sit on the edge of his bed. “It’s just going to be weird sleeping alone after months of them in here with me.”

“I know,” chuckled Victor. “I don’t know what I’ll do with all the leg room.” Makka normally spread out to the fullest extent, leaving Victor hugging the edge of the mattress.

Yuuri bit his lip, clearly hesitating before asking quietly, “Do you…think you could stay with me tonight?” The tips of his ears turned bright red and he could barely meet Victor’s eye.

A light blush spread over Victor’s nose in return and he smiled brightly. “Of course.” His eyes looked to the twin bed Yuuri sat on. “Maybe, my room?” he suggested. “I have a queen mattress, we may be more comfortable…” Yuuri nodded and stood, following Victor out of his room and sliding the door shut before continuing on to Victor’s.

They dressed down for bed silently, Victor sliding into bed first and scooting over to allow room for Yuuri. Once the other man was laying beside him, Victor lightly draped an arm over Yuuri’s waist. “This okay?” he asked quietly.

Yuuri nodded. “Yes. Thanks. And, I’m sorry to be so silly about this.”

Victor shook his head. “You’re not being silly. You got used to having the triplets with you. You’re used to them being totally dependent on you for security. It’s not easy for that to change, and it won’t happen overnight.” He pressed a quick kiss to Yuuri’s forehead. “But I promise you they will be completely happy and safe tonight. So don’t worry about them.”

“Okay,” Yuuri said softly. “…You do have a crystal ball set up, though, don’t you?”

“Ah…” hedged Victor. He rolled onto his back, arm extended to bat the bedside table drawer open and pull out a spare wand. With a flourish he conjured a crystal ball, the mist slowly swirling before showing the nursery, dragons happily chasing each other and wrestling. “Now I do.” With another flick of the wand the lights went out, the room illuminated only by the pale blue glow of the crystal ball. Victor dropped the wand on the table and rolled back to hold Yuuri. “I’ve charmed it to continuously show them,” he said. “So if you wake up in the night you just have to look over and check in on them. Okay?”

Yuuri nodded, moving to lay a little closer to Victor. “Okay. Thank you, Vitya.”

Victor pressed one more kiss to his forehead before settling in to sleep. “Of course, my Yuuri. Good night.”

* * *

Yuuri awoke several times that night, glancing to the crystal ball immediately and always expecting the worst, but each time the dragons were all sleeping peacefully. At some point during the night Libelle had switched from wrapping her long serpentine body around clusters of eggs to encircling the nine little dragons. Within her coils they all looked perfectly content.

With a relieved sigh Yuuri laid back down, and as he rested his head on his pillow he looked at Victor sleeping before him. The Russian was always beautiful, but there was something ethereal about his looks when he was sleeping, his silver hair falling over his peaceful expression… it made Yuuri’s heart beat skip in delight. With a quiet, content sigh, Yuuri rolled closer to Victor, savoring the unusual opportunity of having him so close.

* * *

As usual, Victor awoke first. Yuuri was never a morning person, and combined with his frequent jolts awake last night, he was fighting the morning’s arrival.

“Yuuri,” Victor whispered, gentling shaking his shoulder. “Yuuri… Do you want to go with me to get the girls?” An unintelligible reply was all he received before Yuuri pulled a pillow over his head, burrowing into the bed. “Okay,” Victor chuckled. “I’ll go by myself.”

It was a bit difficult walking four back by himself, but eventually he managed to get them all back to the inn, and once they were in the private family area Victor banished their harnesses. They sniffed around the dining room idly before Victor encouraged them to “Go get Yuuri!”

Immediately they raced for Yuuri’s regular room, reaching the closed door and clawing eagerly at it to be let in. “No no, girls,” Victor called from down the hall. “In here.” They darted for him, and he barely had the door open before they barreled past and leaped onto the bed.

“Wha-?!” gasped Yuuri, sitting up immediately as he was buried in scales and wings. “Victor!”

“I got the girls!” he said, as if he needed to explain where they came from.

Yuuri went right to cooing over them, telling them how much he missed them but also how proud he was of them for being big girls and staying in the sanctuary all night without him. He felt no anxiety from them, to his relief, and took that to mean they truly had not minded staying in the nursery. He could tell they were happy to see him after almost twenty-four hours apart, but he felt no resentment, only joy to be reunited.

“Get up, get up,” he said, trying to push them off the bed so he could stand. “Let me get dressed, then we can have breakfast. Come on, move,” and he ushered them to the floor.

“Go get _Obaachan_!” Victor called happily, and they skidded around to fly out the door, en route to the kitchen where Hiroko was cooking.

Yuuri finally untangled himself from the sheets and got to his feet, padding over to the door where Victor was standing. “I think they handled the night better than I did,” he chuckled.

“Nonsense. You handled it just fine.” Yuuri gave him a disbelieving look, but Victor just gave him a quick kiss. “You _did_.” Yuuri rolled his eyes a little but smiled all the same, continuing on to his room to change before breakfast.

* * *

Georgi met the rest of the family during breakfast, and afterword he, Yuuri, Victor and Hiroko gathered her supplies and headed for Hasetsu’s square. They set up her usual offerings, conjuring an extra table to showcase Victor’s potions as well.

“If you aren’t sure what something is or what it does, tap it with this,” said Victor, and he handed over one of his many wands. Though all were labeled with basic information, Georgi may have a question on an item now and then. “I’ve recorded myself explaining each potion.” Curious, Georgi tapped the cork of the closest potion to him, and immediately Victor’s voice was heard saying _Beautification Potion,_ _A potion that makes the taker very beautiful._ With a grin, Victor nudged his boyfriend beside him. “My Yuuri doesn’t need this one. He’s already the most beautiful man in town.”

“ _Vitya_ ,” Yuuri groaned in embarrassment, hiding his face in his hands. Hiroko giggled in delight before getting Georgi’s attention and pointing out what was what on her end.

“Powders are over here, wings and dried eyes right here. Feathers, talons, that kind of thing right here. These little bundles are freshly picked flowers and herbs, they have a little tag on the string wrapped around them, see? Aconite, foxglove, asphodel, mistletoe, et cetera.”

“Mistletoe?” asked Victor, perking up.

Yuuri groaned. “Victor it’s not even Halloween yet. Don’t get ahead of yourself.”

Victor pouted. “I like any excuse to kiss you,” he grumbled.

“ _Victor_ , my mom is right here,” he groaned.

Hiroko laughed again. “It’s okay to mention it in my presence, Yuuri. We’ve seen you kiss him before.”

Somehow that just made it worse, and Yuuri sulked once more before Victor looped his arm with his and leaned to press a quick kiss to his cheek.

“That wasn’t so bad, now was it?” asked Victor with a little grin.

Yuuri sighed, but though he still checked to make sure Georgi and his mother were going over the different types of roots she sold, he quickly pecked Victor’s lips. “I guess it wasn’t awful,” he said as payback for the teasing, knowing how Victor would react. Right on cue, Victor grabbed his heart dramatically. “Yuuri, how cruel!”

They spent the entire day with Georgi, alternating between helping customers themselves so he could watch their sales pitch and letting him try on his own. Hiroko agreed to come with him another day or two before leaving him on his own. Georgi was concerned about memorizing pricing before Hiroko let him know that as he bagged customers items they were written automatically into her ledger book, the description and price appearing in her handwriting instantly along with a running total.

Tuesday evening Yuuri volunteered to show Georgi the onsen while Victor went to Mahoutokoro for the study group. As Tuesday was the day catered toward the younger students, they worked on the relatively easy Forgetfulness Potion.

“Now because we have to let it brew for forty-five minutes between adding the first round of ingredients and the second, I have already prepped your cauldrons with the Lethe River water and valerian sprigs. We will still practice how to prepare the valerian, but you won’t be adding it to the potion yourselves.” Victor had started the potions a half hour before class, so that by fifteen minutes into explaining the process of the first half it was ready to continue.

“Alright, take your mortar and add two measures of the standard ingredient. Can anyone tell us what the standard ingredient is?” he asked. All of the hands of the upperclassmen shot into the air, and Victor smiled and nodded at them in a polite _I know you all know it_ manner, and looked to the younger students. There was some whispering among a few first and second years, and finally a girl that looked around eight years old shyly raised her hand. “Yes?” asked Victor.

“Um. A mixture of herbs. That um, have magical properties.”

“ _Dried herbs!”_ whispered one of her friends beside her in the loudest whisper Victor had ever heard.

“Uh, dried herbs!” she corrected. “And you can crush it into a powder or just use the plants. Like when they’re still in one piece.”

“That is exactly right,” beamed Victor, and after glancing at the midnight blue cords on both their obis, added, “House Yosamu is lucky to have such smart young witches.” They devolved into giggles as he returned his attention to the room. “Now, once we have two measures of the standard ingredient in the mortar, we want to add four mistletoe berries. Using the pestle, crush them into a medium-fine powder. Let me know if you need help!”

He walked around the room, looking over their shoulders to check they were doing it correctly. Occasionally he had to help the first years finish grinding the berries. “Alright, now add two pinches of this crushed mixture to your cauldron. _Only two pinches_. Not the whole amount.”

“…Um, Mr. Nikiforov?” asked a shaky voice. Victor looked over to see a third year holding an empty mortar. “I thought we were gonna put the whole thing in so I did before you said not to…” Her cauldron was already bubbling out of control, threatening to boil over as its smoke turned electric blue.

“Oh! Okay,” said Victor quickly, mentally reminding himself to stay calm and collected so as not to freak the students out. “Please take several steps away from that cauldron,” he said as he hurriedly walked to their side of the classroom. Students in the vicinity quickly backed away as he approached, pulling his wand out and banishing the now magenta slime oozing down the cauldron’s side. “No harm done,” he said, waving his wand to clean the cauldron out completely, leaving it pristine and ready for the next brew. “For the rest of the session just partner up with someone else, alright?” The girl nodded and went to join two of her classmates nearby.

“Okay, two pinches of the mixture. Everybody have that in?” Nods all around. “Excellent. Now, we are going to stir five times counter-clockwise. Does everybody know what direction counter-clockwise is?” he asked. There was a chorus of _to the left_ and a few _to the right_. “Oh dear. So place your ladle at the far side of your cauldron like that’s the twelve on a clock. Stir to the left,” Victor said. “Your potion should be a nice orange color when we’re done. If you stirred clockwise it will be black and unusable.” He walked through the sets of desks and cauldrons, admiring the shades of yellowish orange potions. Many weren’t exactly orange, indicating they used too many or too few ingredients, but this was just practice after all, and only their first attempt. He spotted a few cauldron’s sporting black liquid, and stopped to go over correct stirring techniques and explaining clockwise vs. anti-clockwise once again, conjuring a clock for a visual.

Back at the front of the classroom, Victor plucked his wand out of his pocket once again. “Alright, our potion is essentially done!” he smiled. “All that’s left is the charm. Every potion’s brewing process must include a magical component to complete it. What charm do we think this potion uses as it’s final step? Keep in mind its the _Forgetfulness_ Potion…”

“The memory charm,” said most of the class in unison.

“Yes! Very good! Now, if you haven’t learned the memory charm yet, please raise your hand. Those of you who have, please help out your classmates and cast it for them.” Once the older students finished their own, they got up and roamed around, helping the students who hadn’t yet learned the charm.

By the end of the hour most had more or less a successful orange potion. Victor bottled up the flawless looking brew done by an eighth year in golden robes. “This is precisely what we want,” he said, holding up the potion bottle for the class. A little drop and you forget where you set your wand down. Drink the whole bottle and you completely forget who you are. As you can imagine, I can not let anyone walk out of here with a full bottle of this potion. However,” he pulled a small vial from his robe’s pocket and ladled enough for just one sip. “As a reward for having the best outcome today, here is enough to help you forget an embarrassing moment or two. Use it wisely.” He handed it to the student who eagerly pocketed it.

The second hour of the session was spent going over students homework. Victor and Satsuki went table to table answering questions, correcting measurements or critiquing wand movements. Victor was happy to see several Shunrai upperclassmen finish their own homework quickly and immediately start helping Yosamu students beside them. Yuuri had told Victor that Mahoutokoro discouraged house rivalries, but he hadn’t fully grasped the concept until he arrived. The dining hall was not separated by House, but rather encouraged students to sit where and with whom they pleased. There was no House Cup challenge throughout the year, and the teams for school sports were mixed with students from all four, named after magical creatures rather than their Houses. The main exception was Quidditch, the only activity that was House specific, and Yuuri suspected it was only because they had followed foreign influence in doing so when they learned about the sport from Hogwarts students.

Victor had been baffled at first. In his experience, competition and friendly rivalry was a good motivator to push himself and be the best. However, there was clearly something to this strategy as well. Mahoutokoro was known internationally as one of the top performing schools, and because of this it was often incorrectly suspected of exclusively accepting students of higher socioeconomic backgrounds and those of a pureblood heritage, which would supposedly explain their magical advantage. Yuuri explained the school did the exact opposite of recruiting only purebloods. The selection process was actually quite random, and the school focused on fostering the most nurturing academic experience for its students regardless of prior knowledge or ability. Victor had sheepishly admitted to Yuuri one night that a lot of Durmstrang students still believed Mahoutokoro was a snobby rich school, with its gold leafed _everything_ and its tendency to win most of the competitions its students entered.

He was now acutely aware of how wrong those assumptions were, even after only a month in the school. It was the only school offering a day program for young witches and wizards to understand and control their magic from a young age, an especially important feature for those growing up in muggle families. As a child of both a muggle and a witch, Victor knew how isolating it could be to constantly hide half of who you were from one side of your family. How wonderful it would have been to have an environment focused on friendship, support and nurturing magic when he was seven rather than waiting until he was eleven.

Victor barely realized he had zoned out in thought before a student startled him back to the present. “Mr. Nikiforov?”

“Yes?” he asked, blinking quickly as he came back to himself.

“Could you show me how to extract the slime from this billywig stinger? I keep snapping them in half and then it all goes all over the table…”

“Of course,” he smiled. “First, lets get some gloves on. If a billywig stings you it causes giddiness and levitation, and its known to happen if you prick yourself on a stinger, even if the gillywig is no longer alive. Best not to take that chance.”

By the time Victor was home Georgi and Yuuri had long gotten out of the onsen and were sitting in the public dining room, chatting with a few guests about their time in Hasetsu. Georgi was particularly interested in how a young lady’s vacation was going, and when Victor entered the room he caught Yuuri’s eye, giving him an _I told you so_ look. Heartbreak halfway forgotten already.

Yuuri excused himself and went to Victor’s side, and the two headed to the kitchen to see if Hiroko needed any help, certain Georgi wouldn’t mind more time with the witch. After assuring them it had been a pretty mild Tuesday, they went to Victor’s shop. “How was the study group?” asked Yuuri.

“Wonderful. They’re so bright! And even the mistakes are good learning opportunities on what not to do in class,” Victor said. “I’d rather they make mistakes when grades aren’t on the line.” Yuuri smiled, expression fond. “What?” asked Victor.

“Nothing,” he said. “I just like how happy you look right now.”

Victor tilted his head in confusion. “I’m always happy.” It’s one of the things Yura couldn’t stand about him.

Yuuri thought for a moment. “You have different kinds of happiness,” he decided. “There’s your intense potion brewing expression, where you’re focused and pleased with your work. That exhausted, satisfied smile after Quidditch practice. There’s the smile you have just for when the triplets are about to pounce on you. That look when you’re holding Makkachin.”

“What about the look when I’m holding _you_?” he asked, a teasing smile on his face as he looped his arms around Yuuri’s waist.

“I like that one a lot,” Yuuri chuckled, reaching up to clasp his hands behind Victor’s neck, looking up at him with a shy smile. “But this one’s new. You light up when you talk about the students and what you’re teaching them. I like it. It’s cute.”

Victor gently pulled Yuuri closer to him. “I understand why you like it so much. I don’t even have a real class and I’m so emotionally invested in them already.”

“It’s a real class,” Yuuri corrected. “It might not be graded, but it’s still hard work. You plan a lesson and walk them through it. Don’t sell yourself short.”

“Mm,” he hummed. “I don’t have five like you though. I can’t imagine five in one day! I was exhausted after two hours. Your stamina is amazing.”

“I’ve had several years to get a rhythm down,” Yuuri reminded him.

“That’s true,” Victor nodded. Yuuri noticed his eyes darting down to Yuuri’s lips. “So speaking of impressive stamina.”

“Oh my god,” Yuuri groaned with a laugh. “Just kiss me. I don’t even want to hear you try to segue into this.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More Georgi next week, I got distracted with school stuff again lol 
> 
> If you aren’t aware, there will be a few baby dragons hatching over in the Bonus Scenes post :) keep an eye out for those!


	6. Quidditch Practice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Georgi meets the dragons. Victor has his first Quidditch practice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is very short! I'm sorry! 
> 
> I am a hotel manager, and Corporate descended upon us for a full inspection this week. I have literally been cleaning top to bottom with a toothbrush xD with staff cuts we've been operating on a skeleton crew since March, so I've been cleaning the public areas, manning the front desk, cooking breakfast/dinner... you name it! This luckily was just a "training" inspection and it didn't count as a pass or fail, but we still took it seriously. Yesterday I was at the hotel from 7a to 1a xD it's finally over!!

Wednesday morning Victor and Georgi started the day off together in the workshop. Georgi would get a better idea of what went into the potions, what they were used for, and give Victor a hand in brewing the easy ones. In the afternoon he'd set up the cart in Hasetsu's square with Hiroko's wares and Victor's potions. If this format worked out for both Hiroko and Victor, then, knowing Georgi was only here for a month, they would begin considering who would be a good permanent solution. It was convenient having someone who didn't mind odd shifts and consistently changing schedules, but eventually Georgi would return to St. Mungo's and they'd need to know exactly what they were hiring for.

That evening after Yuuri was home from school they let Georgi know they had something to talk to him about. “Let's go for a walk,” Yuuri suggested, and while Victor expected for them to head for the back door his boyfriend lead them out front. Yuuri figured this was too long a conversation for the short walk to the field, and instead started on a leisurely stroll to the beach.

“I didn't know how to tell you this in a letter,” Victor started. “It will probably come as quite a shock.” Victor smiled and took one of Yuuri's hands in his. “It's easier to do it together in person, and I wanted Yuuri's help in explaining. After all, it's his secret to tell.”

Yuuri smiled as well. “It's not really _my secret_ anymore, Vitya. The girls are just as much yours as they are mine at this point.”

Georgi froze mid step, eyes growing wide. “Girls?” he asked incredulously.

Yuuri realized his mistake, and that this was off to a poor start. “Ah, not what you're thinking,” he said as Victor loudly gushed, “We have four!”

“Four?!” wheezed Georgi.

“Triplets and a little sister!” Victor beamed. “You'll love them, Georgi, I promise!”

“Vitya,” Yuuri groaned, squeezing his hand to get his attention. “We should probably have started with-”

Georgi grabbed Victor by the shoulders, turning him to face him as he gasped, “Triplets?!” at him. “How – When – You didn't tell me sooner? How old are they?” Had he been left in the dark for years? Was this less the whirlwind romance Chris described and actually a years long secret relationship?!

“Almost four months,” Victor said. “And little Makka is just shy of three months!”

The math clearly was not adding up for their friend. “But how could there just be one month between?” he asked, completely lost. He worked at a hospital, he knew a thing or two, and while no expert he was confident nine months at least were required unless... “Two different women?”

Now it was Victor's turn to be utterly confused. “Women?” he asked. “What are you talking about? What women?”

“What are _you_ talking about?” Georgi asked, exasperated, because from where he was standing at least one woman was necessary for whatever crazy scenario Victor was now in. For two births to be so close he could only conclude there were two women involved, one with Victor and one with Yuuri, perhaps? But weren't Victor and Yuuri together? What was happening?!

“Vitya, we really need to emphasize that the girls are not hu-”

“I'm talking about Hisa, Ai and Kou. The triplets are technically Yuuri's, but I think they've come to accept me as an equal parent already.”

“But-?!” flailed Georgi, not even sure how to continue asking how any of this made sense.

“Vitya,” Yuuri said loudly, tugging on his hand again. “Stop.” The two men looked at him. “We aren't talking about _human_ girls,” he clarified. “Vitya forgot to mention that one critical bit of information.”

Georgi deflated, looking both relieved and still terribly, terribly bewildered. “Wait. We're discussing _pets_?” he asked.

“No,” answered the couple in unison. “Well,” Yuuri frowned, looking at Victor with a _let me handle this_ expression. “Not exactly. They aren't pets, but they aren't human children, it's a very unique in-between situation.”

Georgi huffed in frustration. “Just tell me straight,” he finally said. “Because all I'm getting out of this is Victor moved to Japan because he knocked _something_ up and I need to be corrected quickly.” Victor looked offended as Yuuri shushed him once again.

“We're raising baby dragons. Together.”

Georgi blinked. “I said you can tell me the truth. Whatever it is will be easier to believe than _that.”_

“It is the truth,” pouted Victor. “We have four little dragons.” Georgi raised an eyebrow and Yuuri sighed this time.

“Let's start over,” Yuuri said. “This time I'll do the talking, Vitya.”

* * *

After a long chat on the beach, Victor and Yuuri Apparated Georgi to the sanctuary, the nursery in particular, to introduce him to the reality that was baby dragons. While Georgi was currently beneath a small pile of six or seven hatchlings, all eager for a new friend, Yuuri was fondly scolding Victor on his latest reveal.

Victor was pouting. “ _Last time_ you and Chris were _annoyed_ that I brought up Hisa, Ai, Makka and Kou _last_.”

“Yes, but Chris had the basic knowledge that we were talking about dragons before he got here.”

Victor huffed. “It was actually _you_ who mentioned them first, you know. I just clarified that we had four.”

“I know,” laughed Yuuri. “That's true. I suppose you just got excited.” Victor did love to rave about the dragons at every opportunity. Yuuri tipped up to press a quick kiss to his cheek. “But poor Georgi was just about convinced you adopted my children on sight, we each had a secret pregnant lover, or one of us broke _several_ laws regarding legal interactions with magical creatures.”

“Why did he assume it was _me_?” whined Victor, and Yuuri laughed harder.

“Victor!” Georgi called from the grassy center of the nursery. “How do I call them off?” While he was admittedly over the moon with this discovery, one could only be trampled for so long before it was uncomfortable.

Eager for an escape from this conversation, Victor hurried over, calling, “Who wants a treat?” Instantly all nine in the vicinity abandoned what they were doing and raced for him, and Victor conjured up nine salmon fillets.

Yuuri went to Georgi and held out a hand to help him to his feet. “You'll get used to it, getting tackled is a daily occurrence here.”

Georgi gratefully accepted the help, and when he was back upright he brushed himself off. “This is truly extraordinary,” he said. “I never would have believed you if you had tried to put this in a letter.”

“That's been the typical response so far,” Yuuri chuckled. “Would you like to see the rest of the sanctuary?”

“There's more?” asked Georgi eagerly.

“Mhm,” Yuuri nodded. “This is actually the smallest part, we have an entire other area for the adults.” There were three females roaming the nursery, but that was nowhere near all they had. “Follow me.” Yuuri lead him through the boulders and into the main habitat, watching with delight at their guests shocked expression and the size and number of fully grown dragons.

“And...these are everywhere?” he asked in amazement. How could beasts this large go unseen?

“Yes,” Yuuri said. They had gone over the hunting to near extinction bit, the Ministry hiding dragons in government approved secret locations, but he understood that it would take time for it all to sink in. “Aside from wizards actively hiding them, they are very good at naturally being elusive.”

“I just can't believe...” he trailed off, completely taken in by the sight before him. After a moment he got himself together, brows furrowing a bit, and he said, “The world needs to know.”

Yuuri's smile grew. “That's also been a typical response,” he said. “And part of the reason we invited you to Hasetsu.” Georgi looked curiously at him.

“I wasn't summoned just to be Victor's assistant?”

“Well, yes and no,” Yuuri said. “We do need help with his potions, but we also need assistance with something a little trickier regarding the dragons.”

Georgi raised an eyebrow. “What are you and Victor up to?”

* * *

The following day, after Victor finished the two hour potions study group, he headed to the Quidditch pitch for an evening practice. He had spoken to the captains of the four teams and asked if there would be any interest in learning a different style of play. The captains had looked interested, but asked that they have a few days to think it over. While joint practice with one other team was common, sharing the pitch with one team practicing on each end with the goalposts, they weren't sure how Victor planned to coach all four without having four sessions a week, which was more time than Victor was prepared to offer at the moment.

Victor had pondered it over as well, and in the end they agreed on position specific sessions, rotating weekly. This week the four Seekers would spend an hour with Victor, the following week the Beaters, followed by the Keepers, then finally the Chasers. While Victor's strength was playing Seeker, he still had participated in all the training drills the rest of the team did, and had a few tricks up his sleeve he'd love to show off.

Since it was their first meeting, he started with asking for a demonstration for common maneuvers they used, ones they all tended to use so they weren't concerned with the opposing teams seeing them. He wanted to get a feel for what a typical game was like, what their current strategies tended to be, so he could better judge what might be of interest to them.

“Fantastic!” he beamed as the Shunrai Seeker came to hover beside him, having just demonstrated a particularly daring dive. Victor pulled out a snitch from his pocket, charmed to follow instruction rather than fly wildly. “Very impressive! Now, I'd like to see you do that again with the snitch.” He tossed it in the air, and the Seeker flew higher, circling the pitch once to gain speed. Victor lead him on a little chase around the arena before sending the snitch in a straight dive to the ground. The Seeker hurled after it just as he'd demonstrated, flying full speed at the dirt until nearly too late, pulling out of the dive just in time with the snitch firmly in his grasp.

The other three Seekers cheered as Shunrai's held the snitch up triumphantly. “Perfect,” Victor praised again. “But what would happen if the snitch didn't fly in a straight line?”

“Why wouldn't it?” asked the Yosamu Seeker. “It almost always does once it begins a drop like that.” While it flew erratically around the stadium, it seemed the snitch preservation instinct drove it to an immediate death drop when a Seeker came at it from above, counting on the player to bail out of the dive out of fear of crashing into the ground.

“The snitch naturally wants to play chicken with the Seeker. It knows it can change direction much easier than a player, and come to a full stop a lot easier too. So...we need to manipulate it into going where we want.”

“But that's impossible,” frowned the Toppuu player. “Snitches can't be directed or reasoned with.”

“Not with words, no,” Victor agreed. “But there are other ways. Let's run it again, this time I won't be directing it once you've got it in your sights. Aya, if you would,” he said, looking at the player from House Seiran. She nodded and took off, doing two quick loops of the pitch before catching sight of the snitch and chasing after it. Victor banished the direction charm to allow the snitch full freedom to do as it liked. She followed it around two goal posts before arching up, and after a burst of speed she came at the snitch from above, causing it to fall toward the ground as expected. Halfway through her dive, however, Victor darted directly into the snitches path, only a few yards below. It immediately swerved to avoid him, and Victor moved out of Aya's way as she pulled up to a stop.

“Are you crazy?!” she gasped.

“Not in the least,” Victor beamed.

“I could have crashed right into you!”

“I knew you wouldn't,” he said. “I only had to be below you for a second for the snitch to panic and change course. I had plenty of time to get out of your way.” Aya was still breathing hard as the other three looked curiously at Victor. “The natural instinct of a Seeker who sees another Seeker in a dive is to try to race them to the snitch. Usually, though you may be only seconds after them, it is too late. If you cannot reasonably beat the other Seeker to the snitch, throw it off course. Don't be afraid of the fact you may lose sight of it. Better that you both lose it than your opponent catch it.”

The Seekers looked at each other, eyes wide as they thought this over. Willingly letting the snitch out of sight once seen went against all their previous strategies. Speed was everything, and the first sighting of the snitch usually signaled the end of the game.

Victor conjured another snitch, tossing it happily into the air. “Alright, let's try it again. Groups of two. One of you will dive, the other will intervene. Then we'll switch. Ready? Go!"

They ran through it multiple times, switching partners and roles to keep it interesting. “I hope each of you will give your own personal touch to this maneuver,” he said as they landed on the grass at the end of the hour. “Share it with your teams, see if it sparks any new ideas. That's the whole point of this, after all.”

“Thank you, Mr. Nikiforov,” said one player, and he beamed back at them.

“Thank you,” he said, “For a wonderful practice.”

The students headed for the locker rooms while Victor went toward the supply shed. “You'll make a great referee when the games start,” said the Toppuu student a little shyly. “You would probably make a really great coach, too.” She smiled before hurrying to catch up with the other Seekers.

Victor smiled, touched. A coach? Yes, he'd have liked that. Maybe if he'd gone on to play professionally he'd have coached after retirement. In another life, if dragons hadn't consumed his every thought, he probably would have been a coach.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I've obviously never played Quidditch, but I had fun coming up with strategies that I would try if it were real. I will try to get a few short egg hatching posts up soon. I became entirely consumed with prepping the hotel the past week. 
> 
> And once it was over today, I got home and got in my comfy clothes, and a coworker was like hey relax with your new kitten, you earned it! And then I offered to bring the kitten to work to meet the night crew xD so at 930p I pack up my cat and kitten and go back to work xD I should just live in the hotel again, I don't know why I moved out xD


	7. Sweden - Late October

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chris and Masumi find a lot more than they're expecting in Sweden.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have had this chapter written for quite a while now and have been really excited to share it! I ended up moving Georgi's arrival up a bit so this was delayed, but finally! Getting back to our dragons around the world plotline I like to forget about xD

Sweden – Late October

Chris and Masumi received instructions from Mari on where they were to focus their search. She recommended sticking to the north, recalling from her Ministry days that Norrland was sparsely populated by Muggles and therefore had been a good location for the Ministry to secure. The hilly and mountainous land was covered in forests perfect for rerouting spells, a clever bewitchment that turned approaching travelers in circles until they deemed the forests impossible to navigate and returned home. The mountains provided plenty of caves for dragons to nest in, with nearby rivers, lakes and plains supplying ample amounts of prey.

Currently the couple was in the valley at the base of a mountain, considering their options. One objective was to find a suitable home for Moonstruck, who preferred the icy, uninhabited mountains. They were also looking for dragons already here, but they weren’t entirely sure what to expect. Sure, most likely they would fine other Short-Snouts, but Mari had also mentioned that the Ministry tended to dump any rogue dragon they had in the closest Ministry approved location. There was no telling what species, logical to the climate or not, they may find.

“I suppose now is as good a time as any,” Masumi said. “Will the Ministry know if you tamper with their shields and alarms?”

“If I took them down and left them down completely, yes. But I am smarter than that,” Chris smiled. “Watch and learn.” He pulled his wand out and whispered an incantation designed to detect nearby enchantments. A cloud of blue smoke puffed from the end of his wand, followed by purple then green. “Ah,” Chris grunted. “Tricky. I don’t see that third one often…”

“You can’t possibly tell what defenses they have up just by the color of the smoke, can you?” asked Masumi. “How could you-“

“Shh,” Chris said, putting a finger to Masumi’s lips. “My love, you were invited to be the muscle. Let me handle the charms, hm?” He tapped his lips one more time before focusing back on his spells. “I know what I’m doing.” With a light chuckle he added, “Victor was just as shocked as you when he first saw this. I didn’t hear the end of it until I finally taught him how to do it too. I hear he used it to impress the Katsuki’s already.”

Chris flicked his wand twice, uttering a spell to counteract the caterwauling charm the blue smoke indicated, an obnoxious charm that emitted a high-pitched shriek when unauthorized personnel entered the perimeter of a protected area. With a flourish he temporarily disengaged the anti-intruder charm, saying, “We have five minutes before it’s back up, but if we’re within the area by then it won’t consider us a threat. Just give me one moment for the last one…” He wracked his mind for a suitable counter curse for the deterioration hex which impairs foes and reduces their stamina. If not taken action against, Christophe and Masumi would collapse from sheer exhaustion in a matter of hours despite their generally good health and athleticism. “This should do,” he decided, and waved his wand in a semi-circle before giving it a good flick.

“You never cease to amaze me,” Masumi praised, and Chris preened.

“Like I said,” Chris beamed, tugging on Masumi’s hand to lead him out of the valley and toward the forest. “Child’s play.” After a few moments Chris sent up his own shielding spells. If anyone thought to check on the area it would look suitably protected at first glance. It would only be evident that the spells weren’t original if someone were to run a tracing charm to research the origin of the caster, and without sufficient cause to investigate, it was almost never done.

“…You taught Victor how to do the smoke trick?” Masumi asked. Chris nodded. “How did you learn it?”

“I can’t give everything away,” Chris smirked. “I love an air of mystery.”

* * *

Two days into their exploration, and so far they’d found an Acromantula lair, a herd of surprisingly friendly centaurs, unicorn hair caught on some bushes but no actual unicorn, and a dozen other common magical creatures they couldn’t care less about.

Still no dragons.

“At least we know that kids won’t be running out and finding them all over the place,” Chris said. “I mean I didn’t think dragons would start popping up in people’s backyards or anything, obviously they’ll remain in their secluded homes, but still. It’s a comfort to know those who may go looking for them are going to have a little trouble. Even if they have good intentions, we really don’t need people running out to hug a dragon, getting eaten, and their families calling for their extermination. We’d be right back at square one.”

“Victor and Yuuri did consider that, didn’t they?” asked Masumi.

“Yes,” he nodded. “There’s pros and cons to keeping them a secret and to bringing them to light. More people to help them, but also more people to hurt them. They decided to believe there are more good people in the world than bad, I suppose.”

They walked a little while longer, their goal today to leave the forest and begin checking out the rocky base of the mountain more closely. They hadn’t been optimistic of finding dragons in the forest to begin with, but thought some may come in search of prey. Victor, walking dragon encyclopedia, had recommended they at least spend some time in the forest, as they weren’t sure what breeds the Ministry was hiding there and some did prefer a woodland home.

“Okay,” Masumi began. “No luck with the forest. Do we want to walk along the base of the mountain, or start going up? The further up we go the colder it’ll be, and we’re supposed to be finding a nice, chilly location for Moonstruck, right?”

Chris nodded. “Let’s focus on finding her a home for now, maybe we’ll find a dragon while we’re at it.”

Masumi guessed it was early evening. “Why don’t we spend tonight at the edge of the forest, and head up tomorrow? I think it’ll be easier to set up the tent down here.” Chris agreed, and once the trees began thinning out they found a decent sized open area and began to settle down for the night. Masumi pulled the shrunken tent from his bag, tossed it toward the grass, and before it landed he hit it with an enlarging spell. It twisted and turned as it grew, settling into a full size tent.

“I still don’t believe you and Victor spent the night outside the last time you went ingredient hunting,” Masumi said. He’d heard how Chris had charmed toadstools into spongey beds and moss into blankets, and apparently left it at that. _His_ Christophe, roughing it like that? Hard to imagine.

“We did!” Chris laughed, brushing past him to enter the tent. “It was fun!” He kicked his shoes off and flopped onto the large plush bed in the center. Masumi followed in after.

“With no comfort or privacy?” he asked.

“Our charmed beds were perfectly comfortable, thank you, and I didn’t need privacy, it was just Victor.” They had been roommates at Durmstrang, they were used to sleeping near each other. While someone stumbling upon them might have been a little startling, it wouldn’t have been a big deal. “With you, on the other hand…” He grinned and made grabby hands at Masumi, and his boyfriend dutifully finished removing his traveling cloak before falling onto the bed beside him. “A bed and tent are absolutely required.”

* * *

In the morning Chris blinked slowly awake, unused to the bright light of the sun coming through the tent compared to his black out curtains at home. He groaned unhappily before snuggling back into Masumi, trying to hide his eyes.

“Day three,” Masumi yawned, rolling onto his back, Chris moving to cross his arms over Masumi’s chest and rest his chin on them. “You ready to find some dragons?”

“I do really want to,” Chris smiled lazily. “But I also really want to stay right here for several more hours.”

Masumi chuckled. “While I’m not _opposed_ to the idea, we did promise Victor and Yuuri we would take this expedition seriously.”

“And we have,” Chris agreed. “They never said we couldn’t enjoy ourselves while we’re here.” Masumi smiled and shook his head. “Fine,” Chris lamented, pulling the blankets off his nude form and getting to his feet. “I’ll just have to survive until tonight then.”

“The sacrifices you’re making for these dragons are truly inspiring,” Masumi laughed, and Chris threw his robe at him before starting to get dressed himself.

Soon they had cleared the tree line and were picking there way up the rocky mountain. After one too many close calls in regards to tripping over loose rocks, Masumi suggested they switch to brooms. “It’ll be faster anyway,” he reasoned. “Plus a little quieter.” Chris agreed and conjured two brooms for them, each hopping on one and flying side by side, hovering only a few feet off the ground to avoid calling attention to themselves.

“Just who exactly are we hiding from?” Chris asked. “No one’s around. Wouldn’t it be better to fly higher? We could see more.”

Masumi shook his head. “You never know. We’re in a restricted zone of the Ministry. It’s possible they have agents keeping an eye on it.”

“I doubt they’d waste their time,” Chris said. “It doesn’t sound like they care about the well being of the dragons from what Victor says.”

“Their well being, maybe not,” Masumi agreed. “Protecting valuable assets, however…” With the price of a dragon or its egg being what it was, he could see the Ministry wanting to prevent their theft.

“Shall I cast a Disillusionment Charm?” offered Chris.

Masumi considered it, but shook his head. “I’d prefer to be able to see you clearly,” he decided. In the event someone or something came upon them, it would be easier to defend themselves if they weren’t nearly invisible.

Chris grinned and flew close enough to brush against his boyfriend’s side. “I love when you get so protective,” he said, pretending to swoon. “So quick to defend your helpless damsel in distress.”

He laughed. “You’re hardly a damsel in distress. And you’re far from helpless. I know you can charm your way out of a tight spot if need be. But…still, please stay close to me.”

Chris hummed happily. “Gladly.”

* * *

The morning flew by rather uneventfully. As they found caves they landed and entered, not exploring every tunnel that diverged from the mouth of the cave but choosing a few to check out. They found several nests that looked relatively recent, with large empty eggshells inside, but even having spent a week in the nursery in Hasetsu Chris couldn’t definitively say they were dragon eggs.

As they flew off from the last cave they’d checked, satisfied that the only thing residing in it were a mated pair of hippogriffs, Masumi was frowning. “You know, I understand Victor looked his entire life and didn’t find them, so I shouldn’t be too surprised we haven’t had much luck after only three days. But I also kind of thought we would have more success, seeing as Mari and Victor were so sure in sending us here, with these counter curses to the secret hiding spells the Ministry uses…”

“The longer it takes us, the more relieved Yuuri will be,” Chris pointed out. He understood where Masumi was coming from, he had hoped for a quick success too, but it could be considered a good thing that they were so hard to find. “Yuuri has little tips and tricks I’m sure, but we are supposed to be playing the part of hapless wizard stumbling upon a fantastic beast. We aren’t supposed to be professionals, otherwise Yuuri would be out here instead.”

“True,” Masumi nodded. “I just-” A loud noise cut him off, something he couldn’t quite define. He looked to Christophe beside him and saw his boyfriend looking thoroughly delighted.

“I know that sound!” he beamed. “It sounds just like Vicchan!”

“Who?” asked Masumi.

“Follow me!” Christophe grinned, turning his broom in the direction the roar had come from. “We found them!”

It was sheer luck that lead them to the dragon. It had remained silent for several minutes after the first roar, the wizards flying in the direction they hoped they had hear the roar come from. Slightly panicked they’d loose the lead, Chris convinced Masumi to fly a little higher. They circled around, eyes scanning both the ground and the sky, when Masumi pointed off to the distance. “There!”

Chris’s eyes followed the direction he was pointing, just catching a glimpse of a large flying figure disappear behind a rock formation. They flew quickly for it, reaching the location and darting around the rocks. “Oh!” he gasped, skidding to a stop and almost causing Masumi to crash into him as he rounded the corner too.

“Chris!” he gasped, swerving around him. “What-!” His complaint died in his throat as he looked at the scene before him, trying to comprehend everything he was seeing.

On the cliff side before them was a small copper-colored dragon currently tearing apart its latest meal. Circling around it flew two more, watching eagerly for the first to eat its fill so they could dive in and partake as well.

“…They’re so small,” was the first thing out of Masumi’s mouth. He estimated they couldn’t be longer than fifteen feet. “I pictured them much larger.”

“Maybe they’re juveniles?” suggested Christophe. “The ones Yuuri had were much bigger.” Yuuri himself would overpower these easily.

“Well, let’s get out of the immediate area,” Masumi suggested. “Lunch time is probably not the best time to surprise them.”

“Good idea,” Chris agreed, and before he had completely turned around Masumi’s wand was out and sending green sparks over his head. “Whoa!” he gasped, flying down to duck out of the way. He heard a screech, and turned to see one of the dragons that had previously been circling the cliffs darting away from him.

“Chris, get behind me,” Masumi ordered, his normally smitten, soft personality immediately gone as if a switch was flipped, now in full Auror mode. Any awestruck wonder at seeing these creatures in the flesh was instantly set aside in favor of keeping Chris in one piece. With practiced precision Masumi sent a stunning curse at each of the two dragons now eyeing them. The beasts were keeping their distance, not terribly affected by Masumi’s blasts but wary enough to put off another dive at either wizard for now. With Chris hovering by his side he firmly said, “Let’s go.”

“Oh – but -”

“Now.”

Chris frowned, unused to the tone in Masumi’s voice but ultimately in agreement that they had done what they set out to do. They found a dragon, time to go before it ate them. “I wish we could let Yuuri know what kind it is.”

“Aggressive and red is all we’re going to tell him,” Masumi said, already starting to fly backwards to keep an eye on the dragons. The two had landed, glancing up at the wizards even as they picked at the carcass of whatever beast they had caught earlier. Wait a minute, wasn’t there a third one eating-

“Impedimenta!” Masumi yelled before he’d even fully thought the situation through, instinct driving him fully. The hex ricocheted off the dragons scales, its stealthy approach from beneath them interrupted. It screeched in anger as Chris flew up into an arch, settling behind Masumi once again. The impediment jinx was meant to slow down or stop its target, but Masumi suspected it did little but irritate the dragon. “Confringo!” The blasting curse seemed to at least knock it off balance, and he quickly sent two more toward the two who were perched to take flight, apparently only feigning interest in their meal and awaiting the chance to ambush them. He sent a well aimed bombarda between them, causing them to skitter apart in surprise and distract them momentarily. “We’re Apparating, now. Give me your hand.” He turned to Chris, holding out a hand to take his boyfriend’s, but before Chris could even let go of his broom handle he was struck by a bright purple light, immediately rendered frozen.

“Finite incantatem,” Masumi said quickly, releasing him from the Petrificus Totalus curse, looking wildly around for the source. “Where-?” He was interrupted by another jet of white light speeding by him, barely missing him. He looked in the direction it had come from and saw a figure dart behind a boulder. “Expulso!” The boulder exploded in a burst of blue light, their apparent attacker thrown back several feet. Masumi grabbed Chris’s hand and Apparated them down to the ground, keeping his boyfriend close behind him as he made sure to keep both the dragons and this newcomer in his sights. Wand clutched tightly in his hand, he called, “Don’t move!”

Chris, unused to such fast paced action, was still trying to process the first dive of the dragon. A dragon had tried to eat him! Finally catching up to the present, he had the sense to cast a shield charm around them to defend against any more attacks, be it from spell or fang.

After a quick glance to make sure the dragons were keeping their distance, Masumi turned back to the person on the ground before them. The blast had knocked the wind out of them, and they sat up slowly, coughing as they did so. They saw it was a young, pretty witch in a deep blue robe, now nearly gray due to the dust and dirt. She patted around the debris for her wand anxiously.

“Who are you?” Masumi demanded.

“Who are you?” she countered, finally finding her wand, and though Chris and Masumi had her outnumbered, she still held hers up defiantly.

“I am an Auror with the Swiss Ministry of Magic,” he stated. “Department of Magical Law Enforcement.”

The witch leaned back on her hands, shaking her head to move the hair from her eyes. “Switzerland sent an Auror here? Why?”

“You have bigger things to worry about,” he said. “Like the fact you’ve just attacked a government agent unprovoked.”

“Do you even have jurisdiction here?” she asked in disbelief. “And it wasn’t unprovoked, it was in defense!”

Chris and Masumi glanced at each other in confusion for a moment, before Masumi said, “You attacked us.”

“You attacked my dragons!”

The couple blinked in incomprehension, Chris finally finding his words and gasping, “Your dragons?”

The witch before them huffed. “I hear Pru scream, and come to find you two shooting god knows what at her and her brothers! What are you doing here?”

Chris scoffed. “They came at us first!”

“Of course they did! You came when they’re eating! Are you insane? Vipers are the last thing you want to disturb during a meal!”

“…Vipers?” asked Masumi.

The witch finally pushed herself up, getting to her feet and dusting herself off with a scowl. “Peruvian Vipertooth?” she said, looking annoyed at their blank expressions. “I don’t believe this. You Ministry goons were sent out here to catch a dragon you know nothing about? You know their fangs are poisonous, right? What if she bit you? What was your plan here?”

“First of all,” Chris frowned. “We aren’t Ministry goons. Second, we aren’t here to catch any dragons.”

She crossed her arms over her chest, wand still carefully pointed at them, frowning at them in disbelief. “Really? Because you don’t seem surprised to see them, so clearly you were looking for them.”

“We mean them no harm,” Chris assured her. He glanced back to see all three sitting on their haunches, staring intently at the wizards but not making a move toward them. For now. “Though it appears it isn’t mutual…”

The witch whistled and the largest of the dragons, presumably the female named Pru, stood and padded over to her, sitting protectively at her side. She patted the copper scales affectionately. “You have to be careful with Vipers,” she said. “They’re known for their particular craving for humans.” Chris didn’t like the sound of that, nor the sight of its purple, toxic drool dripping from its mouth. It even _looked_ poisonous. “It’s why they make such great guards.”

“Guards…for what?” asked Chris.

The witch laughed lightly and turned on her heel, patting the dragon once to get it to follow her. “Come with me.”

Masumi and Chris glanced at each other again, unsure if it was wise to trail after someone who just attempted to hex them out of the sky. Masumi raised his wand a little higher, saying, “Where are you going?”

“I’m going home,” she said simply.

Masumi scoffed. “We aren’t done.”

“I don’t think you’re in any position to make demands,” she said. “I technically have you surrounded.” She whistled again and the two remaining dragons perked up, alert and clearly awaiting instruction. “But if you aren’t here for the dragons, I guess I’ll let you go this time.” Masumi laughed in disbelief as the witch sauntered off, disappearing around another cluster of boulders. The dragons followed behind shortly after.

Chris watched her go with wide eyes, snapping back to himself as she disappeared. “We should go after her,” he said.

“Absolutely not,” Masumi frowned. “We don’t know who she is or what she wants.”

“She clearly wants to keep dragons safe,” Chris said. “Isn’t that what we were sent to do?”

“No,” Masumi said firmly. “We were sent to find the dragons, which we did. We were sent to find Moonstruck a suitable home, which we didn’t. This was a weird interruption, but we should continue on with our plan of going up the mountain.”

Chris pouted. “Darling. We just found somebody who knows about dragons. Don’t you want to talk to her? Find out what she’s doing here?”

Masumi wasn’t particularly interested in befriending someone who just stunned his boyfriend, especially since Chris had been balanced on a broom several yards in the air and could have fallen off. “She attacked you,” he reminded Christophe.

“That was a misunderstanding,” Chris pleaded. “Besides, with you with me I’ll be perfectly safe. You fought off three dragons and a witch just now! We’ll be fine…”

Masumi was still frowning, but he never could tell Christophe no and stick with it. “…One wrong move and we are Apparating home,” he said.

“Deal,” Chris nodded. He pressed a quick kiss to Masumi’s cheek before hurrying in the direction the witch had gone. Masumi followed closely after, scanning the sky for any rogue dragon that may want another try at a snack. “Hey – um – Miss?” he called.

The couple rounded the boulders to find no one there, nothing but a solid rock wall before them. “A dead end?” Chris asked. “She just came around here.” He put a hand on the rock, finding it decidedly solid. He yelped in surprise when her head phased through the rock a few paces to his right.

“Close,” she smirked. “Over here. Come on in. But uh, you guys try anything, and I’m feeding you to Pru.” She smiled pleasantly and disappeared once again. Chris felt Masumi take his hand, squeezing gently. Chris was never very good at Apparating, but it was a required skill for an Auror, and he knew Masumi would be ready to whisk them away at the first sign of a trap. He stepped through the illusion slowly.

Before them stretched acres of beautiful green grass. There were some large hills to the east, the tallest featuring a little waterfall pouring into a pond. All along the perimeter of the area was the rock wall, home to multiple cliff and ledges. The wall went higher and higher, Christophe unable to see where it ended. Scattered among all the land were dozens of dragons.

“Where…are we?” asked Christophe in amazement.

“Inside the mountain,” the witch grinned, clearly amused at their shocked expressions. “It’s hollow.”

“A hollow mountain?” asked Masumi.

“Carved it out myself,” she beamed. “Well. I had a little help. My family’s around here somewhere…”

Chris spun in a circle, taking it all in. It was just as large as Yuuri’s sanctuary, perhaps larger even. “Who…?” He turned to look at her, noticing she was standing beside a hand painted sign that read Drakens Zoo.

“My name is Famela,” she said proudly before motioning to the area beyond them. “And this is my zoo.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two thumbs up for Moonmochi9 and Leonzite for this chapter! 
> 
> Moonmochi9/Famela was awesome enough to suggest Norrland for a good spot for Moonstruck! I am relying entirely on Wikipedia for landscape info so forgive me if it's not quite accurate. Also I don't know your personality either so I hope you enjoyed how I portrayed you xD 
> 
> And way back in July Leonzite asked in a comment if there were other secret sanctuaries/zoos out there. And I was like ho ho ho....lightbulb :) and so the two ideas merged and we now have Famela's dragon zoo :) This actually was the missing piece to a puzzle I was trying to solve in later chapters, so thank you thank you for these ideas. 
> 
> And of course thanks to everybody reading! Comments get me through the work day, so please let me know if you are enjoying the story! Also feel free to comment any ideas you have, as I'm always eager to hear your thoughts and it could very likely end up in the story! You guys have actually steered this story more than you probably know xD I read all your comments and they usually trigger a good idea or two soon after. Keep'em coming!


	8. Meanwhile, in Sweden

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Victor and Yuuri have a nice lunch. Chris and Masumi learn a little more about Famela.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short one again, sorry! Work has been nuts again, and I may need to take a week off from writing if it keeps up. 
> 
> For the Transfiguration Alphabet I had it in another font to be symbols when I was writing it in Word but looks like I can't do that here. So just imagine Yuuri writing on the chalkboard some fancy witchy symbol rather than our letters.

It was rare for Victor and Yuuri to cross paths at school with their schedules being essentially opposite each other, but every now and then one of them came on an off day to pick something up or help out a student.

Today was one of those days. Georgi was at the inn brewing healing potions that would measure up to even the exhaustive standards of St. Mungo's, providing Victor's customers with the strongest healing drafts available without a prescription. Victor took advantage of the chance, claiming he didn't want to be in Georgi's way, and Disapparated off to Mahoutokoro to catch the tail end of Yuuri's class before his lunch period.

This was Victor's favorite class of Yuuri's! The first years were so sweet and small, Victor couldn't hold back his glee sometimes. He'd been eleven when he first walked through Durmstrang's halls and it had felt so imposing back then, he couldn't imagine starting school at seven! There was a different atmosphere here though, and he supposed that helped, Mahoutokoro filled with a welcoming, nurturing aura.

Victor peeked his head into the classroom to see Yuuri at the chalkboard.

“Okay, so now that we've learned eight letters of the Transfiguration alphabet, we can read some very basic formulas. How about this one?” Yuuri wrote on the board, Fjq + sx. “Who can tell me what this is?”

A few hands went in the air, and when chosen, a brunette boy with horn rimmed glasses confidently said, “ F J Q plus S X.”

“Perfect!” praised Yuuri. “This is one you will use a lot next year when working with inanimate objects. I won't get into the math behind it just yet, but it will be very helpful next year if you have all the symbols memorized already and just have to focus on the theory. Alright, for tonight, I want you to practice W,” and on the board he drew W..

Yuuri glanced at the clock. “We have about five minutes left. You already have your homework assignment, so for the last part of class I want you to go over your flash cards with the student next to you. Try to be able to identify all eight quickly. On Friday we're going to race, and if any of you can do the flashcards faster than me then we'll get to take a quick trip down to the gardens where Professor Napatsorn has agreed to let me demonstrate transfiguring some of her magical creatures.” There was excited whispering all around the classroom, the chance at a small field trip combined with animals going over exceptionally well with the young students.

“Oh! Hi Mr. Nikiforov!” beamed a boy from one of his study groups.

Yuuri glanced to the doorway in surprise, and Victor smiled sheepishly, caught lurking in the hall. “Hello Sarut,” he said, waving at the student and he came into the classroom. No sense trying to hide now.

“Mr. Nikiforov?” asked Yuuri, tilting his head to the side. “To what do I owe the pleasure?” He headed for his desk, off to the side of the classroom rather than front and center.

“Oh, just...popping by to say hi,” he said, hurrying to meet Yuuri at his desk. A little softer he added, “I thought you might want to eat lunch together?”

Yuuri huffed out a little laugh. “Last time I checked you didn't have class or practice on Wednesday's. What brings you to the palace today?”

“...I thought you might want to eat lunch together?” he repeated, dialing up the brightness of his smile.

Yuuri laughed again, cheeks a light pink. “You're ridiculous,” he sighed, rolling his eyes fondly. He glanced at the clock, two minutes left of class. Lowering his voice as well he said, “But yes, I'd love to.”

When class was over the students packed up their books and headed for the dining room for lunch. Victor and Yuuri were practically head to head whispering, oblivious to all those around them until one student called out a, “Bye Professor Katsuki!”

“Bye Andrea!” he said, straightening up to smile and wave at her. “See you Friday!” Giggling followed her and her classmates out the doorway.

Victor leaned back against Yuuri’s desk, palms flat on its surface. “Now. About lunch…”

“I have a bento in the staff lounge we could share,” Yuuri suggested.

“Yuuuuri! What kind of man would I be if I didn’t have a date planned before I asked you?”

“This is a date?” asked Yuuri. At this point wasn’t everything kind of a date, if they were, you know, dating?

“Yes,” he grinned. He stuck one hand into his cloak to grab his wand, twirling it lightly to produce a small basket. “I admit your mother helped with the cooking. But it’s the thought that counts, right?” He opened it for Yuuri to peek in, and immediately Yuuri’s mouth began to water at the sight of so many of his mother’s specialties. “I thought we could enjoy this exceptionally nice fall day and eat out by the Quidditch pitch.”

Yuuri smiled, glancing at the clock. “That sounds lovely, but do we have time to get there and back before my next class?”

“We do if we fly,” Victor said, and another flick of his wand produced his broom.

Yuuri laughed. “You thought of everything, didn’t you?” He took a step toward the classroom door, “Let’s get going then.” Luckily his classroom wasn’t too far from the front doors, they wouldn’t spend too long navigating the halls.

Victor had other plans though. He pushed off the desk and went to the large window, throwing it open, silver hair glinting in the afternoon sun. “Why not leave from here? It’ll save time.”

“You can’t be serious. What if someone sees?”

“So what? We aren’t doing anything wrong. Come on Professor, we’re wasting valuable snacking time.”

Yuuri stared at him for a moment before feeling himself give in. “Alright,” he sighed with a smile. “Let’s go.” Victor hopped on his broom, scooting as far back to the bristles as possible, clearly waiting for Yuuri to join him. “I can conjure my own broom, Vitya.”

“But Yuuri, I’m supposed to sweep you off your feet, remember? Phichit’s predictions are never wrong!” He flew over to hover at Yuuri’s side.

“You already fulfilled that vision,” Yuuri reminded him, hoping sideways onto the broom and leaning his shoulder against Victor's chest. “Consider me fully swept away.” He pressed a quick kiss to Victor’s cheek, then one more to his lips when he felt arms loop around his waist, holding him securely in place.

“We don’t know that,” Victor said, flying slowly through the classroom and carefully out the window, mindful not to scrape their toes on the windowsill. “Maybe the cards were referring to some grand gesture of mine in the future that really _wows_ you.” Free of the palace walls, he picked up his pace, Yuuri falling back against his chest in the process, clinging to him.

“How will we know when we’ve fulfilled his vision then? It was awfully vague.”

“I don’t know. I suppose that means I’ll just have to keep surprising you with increasingly outlandish gestures until you’ve had enough of me.

Yuuri grinned, twisting to be able to peck his lips once again. “I won’t ever have enough of you, Vitya.”

* * *

Once at the Quidditch pitch Victor landed in the Shunrai stand and they each took a seat with the basket between them. Yuuri eagerly pulled out dish after dish his mother had helped Victor make, mouth watering at the sight. “You really just came all this way to surprise me with lunch?” he asked.

“Mhmm,” Victor hummed, mouth full from already starting on his takoyaki. They ate in silence for a few minutes before Victor asked, “How was your morning?”

“Fine,” Yuuri said. “Students were a little distracted today, we announced the theme for this year's Halloween Ball.”

“There's a Halloween Ball?” asked Victor excitedly, eyes lighting up. “Why haven't you mentioned it before?”

“Ah, I forgot you wouldn't know about it?” asked Yuuri with a shrug. “We have it every year.”

“Can we go?”

Yuuri laughed. “Yes. As staff we'll have to chaperon.”

Victor beamed. “What's the theme?”

“Love at First Bite,” Yuuri said with a chuckle. “I only hope no students have any distant vampire relatives that get offended.”

Victor's eyes sparkled. “I love it. That's perfect for our first Halloween together!”

“Why? We didn't bite each other...?” wondered Yuuri.

“No. But we were definitely love at first sight!”

“...Do you _remember_ our first conversation?” asked Yuuri. “I accused you of being a liar and a thief.”

Victor ignored him, starry eyed as usual when he spoke of their meeting. “I knew the first moment I saw you,” he insisted.

“Really?” Yuuri smiled skeptically. Victor nodded emphatically. “I wasn't sure how to feel about you until Vicchan approved. Up until then I don't think I allowed myself to even consider having feelings for you.”

“His opinion is important,” Victor agreed, popping another takoyaki into his mouth. He munched happily for a few moments before noticing Yuuri's unusually serious expression. “What?” he asked around a mouthful of batter.

“'Love at first sight',” he said quietly. “Do you really? Love me, that is.”

It was Victor's turn to be surprised. “Yes,” he said, almost sounding like a question, perhaps wondering why it even needed to be asked. “Isn't that obvious?” He was doing a poor job if Yuuri couldn't even tell.

Yuuri turned pink. “Well I had hoped,” he said quickly. “I mean I suspected, but we hadn't ever talked about it, or said anything, so...I didn't want to assume.”

“Please do,” Victor said earnestly. “Assume away.” Yuuri laughed and tried to hide behind his bowl, turning pinker as Victor reached over to squeeze one of his hands. “Assume I only want what's best for you. What makes you happy. I already rescued you once-” Yuuri snorted out a laugh “-so assume I'll always find you and save you from witches or wizards or whatever else tries to come between us. Assume I'll always be there for you, because I promise you won't be let down if you do.”

“You are so ridiculously over the top sometimes,” said a blushing Yuuri. “But...that's why I love you.” Victor beamed and leaned over the basket to press a kiss to Yuuri's lips.

“I love you Katsuki Yuuri. And with that in mind I have a very important question to ask you.” Yuuri only had a moment to panic over where this was going before Victor continued with, “Will you please be my date for the Mahoutokoro Halloween Ball?”

With a relieved laugh he kissed Victor quickly once more. “Of course. But it's going to be less of a date and more of a work thing since we will be expected to chaperon,” he reminded him.

“One dance is all I ask.”

“I think we can manage that,” Yuuri smiled.

* * *

Meanwhile, In Sweden

Christophe and Masumi were staring at the witch in disbelief. “Your...dragon...zoo?” asked Christophe.

Famela beamed. “Mhmm! That was the original plan, anyway. We have a lot more than dragons now.” The wizards glanced at each other, both unsure how to proceed. They had so many questions they didn't even know where to start. Famela took pity on them and offered, “Why don't we sit down and chat.” She was just as suspicious of them as she was curious, and felt the feelings were mutual. “I'll conjure up some chairs.”

“We'll conjure our own, thanks,” Masumi said, not about to let his guard down around this woman. For all they knew the armrests could be hexed to cuff them in the chair the moment they sat down. He'd seen stranger dark items in his years as an Auror.

“Darling, don't be rude,” Chris said, frowning lightly.

“Hey, it's fine,” Famela said, twirling her wand and conjuring up a single chair for herself. “I wouldn't trust me either if I were you.”

That wasn't helping Masumi any. Still wishing they had decided to continue up the mountain rather than stop and investigate this odd witch, he magicked up two chairs for themselves and reluctantly took a seat. “So who are you?” he asked bluntly.

“Famela is all you need to know for now,” she said, crossing her arms. “Who are you two? And what are you doing on my mountain?”

“First of all, it's not _your_ mountain-”

“ _Masumi_ ,” Chris scolded again. “Forget what our maps said. We are literally sitting inside a mountain she hollowed out. I think we can let her claim it, don't you?” His boyfriend huffed. “My name is Christophe,” he said to the witch. “You can call me Chris. This is Masumi. His line of work leaves him a little guarded with strangers, but he's normally very sweet. Aren't you, chéri?” Masumi continued his flat stare. Chris sighed. “It's nice to meet you, Famela.”

The witch slowly seated herself in the chair she'd conjured, just as on edge as her guests. The two smaller dragons had wondered off but Pru was seated behind her, standing guard. “What are you doing here?” she asked again. “And don't try to tell me you didn't know about the dragons.”

Chris glanced at Masumi before answering. “We may have been aware they were in the area,” he agreed. At her frown he added, “But we weren't hunting them. We were just confirming that we were in the right location.”

“Right location for what?” she asked. Chris opened his mouth to answer but Masumi placed a hand on his knee, shaking his head when he caught Chris's eyes. Famela narrowed her eyes further. “What's the ministry doing now?”

“We aren't here on behalf of the ministry,” Masumi said. “The ministry doesn't know we are here and we want to keep it that way.”

“You expect me to believe you're an agent of the ministry, and you just happen to be in dragon territory, and you aren't here on their orders?”

Masumi leaned forward in his chair. “Are you working with the Swedish Ministry?”

“Hell no!” she glared.

“You expect me to believe that when your so called zoo is in the heart of Ministry protected land? We know for a fact that several ministries around the world relocate dragons to this area, and you just _happen_ to be here?” The witch clenched her hands into fists. “Are you buying or selling their dragons?”

“Neither!” she snapped.

“Really?” asked Masumi.

“Yes!”

“Then how do you explain this mountain? What are you doing with all these dragons if you aren't in the dragon trade?”

The witch jumped to her feet. “How dare you!” she growled. “You come into _my_ home and accuse me of selling my dragons?”

Chris quickly piped up with, “We aren't accusing you of anything. Right, Masumi? We just want to know what's going on. Maybe we could have _phrased this better_?” he asked with a look to his boyfriend.

“I am protecting them!” she said. “Do you know what it's like being ground zero for a black market like this? Dragon R&R folk constantly in and out, bringing their little collector friends with'em.”

At Masumi's confused expression Chris whispered, “Research and Restraint Bureau.”

“You say you know the ministry 'relocates' dragons here? You know what relocate means? They drop it off in the middle of nowhere in whatever condition it's in and just _leave._ Regardless of species. You know how many Chinese Fireballs I've found half frozen? How many I've found _dead_?” She put her hand on Pru's copper scales. “How long do you think a Peruvian Vipertooth would last in the dead of winter here? With the unnatural amount of dragons in such a small area, what are they all supposed to feed on? Huh? Bet your ministry didn't think about that!”

Before Chris could point out yet again they weren't on official business, Famela continued with, “And if that weren't bad enough, they just come and _take_ them whenever they please!”

“Are you sure it's ministry agents taking them and not poachers?”

“Aren't they all the same at this point?”

“We believe most agents are unaware of what's really going on, and that only a handful are actually slipping information to collectors and poachers,” Chris said.

Famela crossed her arms. “Doesn't matter who it is that's taking them, we had enough.”

“...We?” asked Masumi.

Famela nodded. “My family. We've been hiding dragons from the ministry for generations. So I'm going to ask you one more time. Why did Switzerland send an Auror here?”

Chris glanced at Masumi, wondering if this was less a friendly chat like he'd hoped and more an interrogation. “Like we said. We weren't sent. We also want what's best for the dragons.” She looked skeptical. Despite Masumi indicating earlier he didn't think Chris should elaborate on their true reason for being here, Chris thought it might be something of a common ground to start with. “In fact, we are here looking to see if this would be a good place to release one of our own dragons.”

The witch finally looked more interested than angry. “...Your dragons?”

“Christophe,” Masumi warned. “How much do we want to tell her?” he asked. “Shouldn't we discuss this with Victor and Yuuri first?”

“I won't give details,” Chris assured him, feeling Famela's eyes boring into him. “But she should know that there are others out there who want the same thing as her. Others that have created a safe space for dragons.”

Famela was still tense, shifting from foot to foot. “You mean there are other zoos?”

Chris nodded. “Yes. Similar idea, anyway. We call it a sanctuary. Our friends run it. They find injured or abandoned dragons and rehabilitate them and release them. We were looking to see if this would be a good area for our Swedish Short-Snout.” Famela scoffed. “What?”

“A ministry zone is the last place you want to bring a dragon.”

“We thought it would be protected,” Chris pointed out. “With the concealment charms.”

“Protected from muggles, maybe, but you'd be painting a bulls eye on the dragons back. This is the first place creeps come looking for them. I'm in a constant race to find the dragons and get them to the zoo before someone else gets to them first.”

“Okay,” Chris nodded. “Well, then it's a good thing we ran into each other, huh?” he asked, looking between the witch and his boyfriend with a small smile. “Maybe we could help each other out. We could use your expertise in the area.”

Famela considered this for a long moment, finally appearing to be willing to give trust a try. “Okay,” she said. “If it's for a dragon.” Chris sighed in relief, feeling like they finally got somewhere with her, only to jump when she said, “Finite Incantatem” and half a dozen witches and wizards appeared around them, their Disillusionment Charm banished.

Masumi was on his feet in an instant, wand at the ready with Chris tucked behind him. “What the-”

“Relax,” Famela said over him. “It's just my family.”

Masumi was tensed all over again, but Chris patted his arm gently to get his attention. “Cheri, can you blame them for lurking? Do you think Hiroko and Toshiya would have let Mari talk to two strangers alone?”

“I don't like being surprised. Or outnumbered.”

One of the wizards recently revealed spoke up. “I apologize if we startled you. Our daughter doesn't normally bring guests home unannounced so we wanted to make sure she was safe.”

The witch beside him added, “Let's start with introductions. Then we can give you the tour.”

A little boy hiding behind the legs of his mother poked his head out enough to warn, “But if you try anything, we'll feed you to Pru!” Chris wondered if that was their family motto or something.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was trying to time it so that my Halloween Ball post is right by Halloween next week but it might not be done in time. I'll do my best!


	9. Dragon Zoo Tour Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chris and Masumi begin their walk around the zoo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry for the delay! And sorry this is so short! Life/work really beat me down the past couple of weeks. I am going to aim to get a few shorter chapters out in the next week or so, and then try to get back into full length chapters in December.

Famela explained what her family had been dealing with for generations. For as far back as they can remember, the Alhberg family had been living within this Ministry protected zone. "We assume the Ministry was unaware our family was here," she said. It had appeared to be a large uninhabited area far from muggle villages, the perfect place to drop unwanted creatures and keep them hidden away from the rest of the wizarding community. "They definitely know we're here now, though they aren't exactly sure where we are. We move frequently so they can't find us again."

"Again?" asked Christophe.

Famela's mother, who introduced herself as Maja, answered with, "On our eleventh birthday we receive a letter to attend Durmstrang, and as I'm sure you know, the envelopes are charmed to have your address, however remote that may be."

Chris nodded in understanding. "That is noted somewhere, I assume?" he asked.

Masumi spoke up, nodding in agreement. "Each Ministry keeps records of students invited to their wizarding schools, regardless of if they accept the invitation or not." He looked curiously at Maja. "Does your family attend Durmstrang?"

"Yes," said Maja's husband, Felix. "We don't want them to miss out on their magical education. However, we do have to take extra precautions." With all the meddling they did with the Ministry's zone, they were definitely on their radar. "Shortly after a family member receives their letter, agents would be in the area looking for us."

"Do you know what exactly they want you for?"

"I imagine theft of their property. Interfering in Ministry operations. Trespassing on their land, even if we were here first..." said Felix. "Their lives would be a lot easier if we weren't here."

"We now move whenever someone turns eleven," said Famela, glancing at her little brother. "That'll be soon, too."

Chris frowned. "Why don't you live in the mountain?" he asked. It was so well guarded, and clearly the Ministry hadn't found it.

"Some of us do," Famela said. "But...we aren't sure what would happen if Nils turned eleven when living in the zoo. What would win between our concealment charms and the locating charm of his invitation?" Chris glanced to Masumi, wondering if he had any insight, but he shook his head to indicate he couldn't answer that question. "We don't want to take that chance," she said.

Chris couldn't believe how stressful something as simple as an address was for this family. "So half of you live in the mountain, and the other half roam around the nearby area?"

Maja nodded. "For now. Nils is my youngest. Once he receives his letter we'll relocate," they already had a home built and waiting in a valley on the opposite side of the mountain from where they lived now. "We'll stay there until he's no longer under the Trace for underage magic." Chris realized that that would give away their position too if Nils performed magic within the zoo underage, the Trace pinging with his location and his parent's address appearing on the letter informing them of the violation. "Once he's seventeen we would feel comfortable living within the mountain."

Chris sat back in his chair, thinking this over. He couldn't imagine constantly relocating whenever a family member turned eleven or accidentally performed magic out of the school year. Famela also went on to explain the lengths in which they'd go to get their family to the train station without being spotted or followed home, and how they refrained from sending letters to or from Durmstrang, worried the owls might be followed. Once they arrived at school they spent the entirety of the school year there, not returning home for holidays or able to even receive gifts or letters.

"We may sound paranoid," said Famela, crossing her arms over her chest. "But trust us. It's necessary. You'll want to be careful when you leave, too. I wouldn't want you to be followed to your sanctuary."

"Luckily we don't live at the sanctuary," Chris said, thankful he was going nowhere near Japan after this. "But we'll still keep vigilant." He wouldn't want Masumi to be under any suspicion if he was spotted here.

* * *

As Chris and Masumi sat and talked with Famela and her family, they quickly realized that this group had had a very different experience with dragons than the Katsuki's. Though Azura and Verndari had been wounded, and several others they rescued as well, the majority of the dragons they retrieved were from collectors, or poachers about to sell to them. Generally collectors were looking for dragons in good health so that they were visually appealing, so when the Katsuki's intervened there was still some evident abuse but overall mostly superficial. The ones rescued from the ministry moving them tended to be in worse shape, with no one caring about scars or undernourishment tarnishing the image, but what they had considered to be horrendous treatment came nowhere near what their Swedish counterparts were facing.

“This is our Chinese Fireball habitat,” said Famela, motioning to the first landscaped area on their tour. “It's charmed with invisible fences to keep them in and other species out.”

“You don't let them all interact?” asked Chris curiously.

Famela tilted her head in confusion. “They're pretty aggressive. And typically different species don't like each other.”

Chris shrugged. “I'm no expert,” he said honestly, having only one week's experience at the sanctuary. “But at our place,” and Masumi found it amusing Chris had already assumed ownership of the Katsuki's location, “They're all free to roam about.”

“That's incredibly dangerous,” said Famela with wide eyes.

“Well, Yuuri said they're kind of quarantined when they first arrive, but eventually they're introduced to the rest and coexist pretty peacefully.”

Famela looked to her parents, who looked just as surprised. “I'd have to see that to believe it,” she said.

Chris laughed lightly. “Maybe one day we can arrange that.”

Famela's mother Maja raised her right hand, muttered an incantation Chris and Masumi couldn't quite hear, and then motioned down to the grass. The pair saw a faint indent in the grass, running in a straight line as far as they could see. “This is the perimeter of their habitat,” she explained before stretching her hand out a little further to be right above the line, palm pressed against seemingly nothing. Her hand glowed pink for a moment before an arch appeared, looking very odd on its own in this field. “Come through here,” she said, leading the way, Famela and Felix following after her. Chris glanced at Masumi quickly, who nodded and they walked under the arch as well, aware they were now in the Chinese Fireball's territory, though it wasn't in sight. Maja pressed her hand to the air beneath the arch, and it glowed once again before disappearing.

Chris couldn't help himself. He reached out a hand toward where he'd just come from, and though nothing was visible it clearly bumped into a solid wall. “How do we get out?” he asked, knowing that was the first thing Masumi was thinking as well.

“With the password,” said Famela, as if that was obvious.

“Which is?” Masumi asked.

“A family secret,” she said, crossing her arms and once again looking like that was a silly question.

A little more polite, Maja added, “I hope you understand we don't share it easily. Just stick with us and you'll be fine. I'm sure you wouldn't open any habitats without our permission, but...we're just more comfortable keeping it within the family.”

“Of course we understand,” said Chris quickly, positive Masumi was not going to agree with this. He was right, and after putting a hand on Masumi's arm to begin to comfort him, he felt the distinct feeling of Disapparating. In a second he was just beyond the line in the grass again, the Ahlberg's staring at them from a few yards away.

“You can Disapparate any time,” Felix explained. “Never know when you need to make an escape from an upset dragon. But you can't take anything out of the area that way.”

“That could have been made clearer,” muttered Masumi, and while Chris agreed he'd been a little uneasy feeling locked in, they could have _asked_ the Ahlberg's to clarify. Maja approached the line again and murmured the incantation, pressing her palm against the invisible wall and calling up the arch once more. Chris and Masumi entered the Fireball habitat a second time.

All five together again, they began to walk further into the habitat, grass turning to dirt then pebbles, and they came upon a boulder field surrounded by trees on three sides, the far side ending at what appeared to be the wall of the mountain they were in. There was a cave in the mountainside, and they could only see a few yards in before it was pitch black.

“They must be outside,” said Maja, glancing around the empty boulder field. “I don't see either one.”

“Outside?” asked Chris.

“The cave there will lead out of the mountain,” explained Felix. “Each habitat has an exit for the dragons. It's charmed to only let its designated occupants in.”

“They come and go?” asked Chris. “You don't keep them in here?”

“They aren't pets,” said Famela. “They have a right to decide if they want to be here or not. Considering we provide them with a steady supply of food, most tend to stick around. They usually go hunt for a fresh snack, stretch their wings a bit, and are back by dinner time.”

Chris thought this over as they headed for the cave. Victor and Yuuri brought dragons back and kept them full time in the sanctuary for months. While they had different climates in the sanctuary, it was all one large area the dragons were free to roam about. “This is way different than Yuuri's setup,” he whispered to Masumi. “I wish he was here. I don't know what questions to ask. I'm sure he'd have a hundred.”

The group went through the cave, illuminating the way with a chorus of _lumos_ to light their wands. When they reached the other side the cave opened to a cliff's edge. Just before the drop off Maja paused, motioning for them to wait as well, and then whistled. After a moment a roar echoed back, and soon Chris heard the unmistakable sound of large leathery wings flapping.

The Fireball swooped down into view, and Maja stepped back toward her family to give it space to land comfortably on the edge. Chris was used to the adorable little Opaleye of Victor's, who looked at anyone they saw with fascination and affection. This dragon was the polar opposite, immediately eyeing them up as if torn on which to snack on first.

“Stay,” said Maja confidently, holding a palm up in the universal _stop_ motion. The dragon glanced at her, not that impressed but apparently willing to get the message, and it sat back on its haunches. Keeping a careful eye on the dragon, who seemed to be familiar with her but not at all intimidated by the witch, she stepped up to the line drawn in the dirt and muttered the incantation for the arch. When it appeared, she summoned a large portion of meat and tossed it through the arch to the dragons feet. It instantly began chomping on it.

“Okay, so...let me make sure I'm following,” frowned Chris. “The dragons can come and go without an arch.”

“Yes,” said Maja, eyes still on the dragon. “It can only enter it's specific cave though.”

“Witches and wizards need the password to enter, but in case of emergencies we can Disapparate freely? But we can't Disapparate with anything?”

“Basically,” said Famela. “Your wand is okay, and little things like that, but you definitely can't Disapparate with a dragon.”

Chris nodded and turned his attention back to the Fireball. It was a brilliant scarlet color, with a fringe of fine gold spikes around its snub-snouted face, its black eyes extremely protuberant. Built for speed, its wings and legs looked exceptionally powerful, and Chris was suddenly very glad he was standing beside Masumi. He'd hate to encounter this dragon in the wild by himself.

As the awestruck feeling came and went, he was able to look closer at the dragon. Its smooth scarlet scales were striking and beautiful, but once he wasn't distracted by the way they glistened and gleamed in the afternoon sun, he was able to make out that many were gouged. Along its side and over its back were clear signs of abuse, curses having blasted their way through the tough scales or hexes skimming down the length of the dragon, carving their path as they went. He remembered Yuuri saying how he'd had ropes magicked over him when he'd been caught himself, snout tied shut to prevent him from sending out blasts of steam, and his eyes went to the Fireball's face. A few scales around its mouth and nostrils were missing entirely, probably lost when it had struggled to break free.

“I see what you mean about the Ministry leaving them in poor condition,” said Chris, watching the dragon as it savagely scarfed down its treat.

Felix let out a sigh. “Unfortunately, this Fireball is actually one of the dragons in the best condition.”

Chris whipped his head around to stare incredulously at him. “What?” he asked, feeling his stomach drop.


	10. The Halloween Ball Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Victor and Yuuri chaperone the Halloween Ball. Victor insists they go in costume.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Doing short little things so I don't ghost you guys again. Like I said, I hope to get back to full length chapters in December, but for the rest of November it'll be spontaneous little snippets :)

The night of the Halloween Ball was drawing closer, and Victor couldn't be more excited.

“Is it a costume ball?” he asked.

“Not really,” said Yuuri. “Some people dress up, but it's mostly a dance. With a feast too, of course.” Victor looked a little disappointed. “What?”

“I was hoping we could do a couples costume,” he said. “I've never had a date for Halloween before.”

Yuuri chuckled lightly. “Well. If it's not too outlandish, we could get away with it, I think. What did you have in mind?”

Victor's eyes lit up. “I have a dozen ideas!” he beamed.

* * *

Halloween fell on a Saturday this year, which made decorating for the event much easier than previous years. All the professors helped in decorating the halls, arranging furniture for the feast and clearing room for dancing.

“It looks beautiful,” Victor gushed, eyes roaming over the dining room which was to host the main event. Spider webs and leafy garlands draped the walls, with hundreds of candles and jack-o-lanterns suspended in the air to light up the room. He was pretty sure those were real bats flying around the ceiling, an invisible barrier in place to prevent them from swooping down in the crowd of party goers.

Yuuri grinned. “Yeah. The staff did a great job this year.” He'd been in charge of setting up the stage for the live entertainment, and after ensuring it was safely built, he'd charmed a few carvings into pumpkins as well. “Did you notice the pumpkins?”

Victor had been too busy looking up. He quickly scanned the stage, gasping happily. “The triplets!” he said in delight. Three pumpkins had carvings of very familiar Opaleye faces, and laying across their tops was, “Makkachin?!” Victor darted over to pick up what appeared to be their youngest dragon, but once he held her up she didn't have her usual enthusiastic reaction, simply staring at him. “Yuuri?”

Yuuri came up beside him, taking the black Opaleye from him. “It's not really her,” he said, wanting to calm Victor's worries of why she was so listless. “I'm working on a spell for my continuing education project. It transforms an object into a dragon. Not a real dragon, of course, but a pretty convincing replica.”

“That sounds fantastic!” Victor enthused. “But also...complicated.”

“It's much harder than I expected,” Yuuri agreed. “Two months and I have only gotten this far.”

“Two months?” asked Victor. “Yuuri, this is incredible! It looks just like her! How did you do this so fast?”

Yuuri shrugged. “I can't get the personality right. It looks like a dragon, but it doesn't act like a dragon. And the scales aren't even right. Look,” and he held up the Makka lookalike, “They're almost completely circular. The girls have oval scales...”

Victor took the dragon back, cuddling it close to his chest. “Yuuri,” he scolded lightly, “Don't be so hard on yourself. This is something to be proud of! This would have taken anyone else years to come up with!”

“I don't think so...” Yuuri said. “I think no one's done it yet because no one really _needs_ to turn objects into dragons...”

Victor sighed, realizing he wasn't going to convince Yuuri of his genius in this conversation. He carefully cradled the dragon in one arm, it's front paws draped over his shoulder, determined to hold her for as long as he could get away with. “Come on, Makka,” he said. “Let's go make sure the refreshment table is ready.”

* * *

Eventually Victor was pressed by the other staff to return the dragon decoration to the stage so he would be able to focus on chaperoning the students. They began filing in around six for the feast, students dressed in a variety of ways. Most were in their school uniforms, but many had taken the opportunity to bring out their dress robes. Fewer still came in costume, ranging from humorous and inaccurate portrayals of Muggle occupations, magical creatures, and even some famous witches and wizards.

Victor pointed to a boy dressed as Severus Snape, bad black wig and all, standing beside a young Albus Dumbledore. “I told you we should have done that!” he whispered to Yuuri. “You would have made a great Snape, and I would have just needed to lengthen my hair and it would've naturally been Dumbledore's color!”

“How would that have been a couple?” asked Yuuri, bewildered.

“...War heroes?” he tried. “They were on the same side... Or, both were headmasters at Hogwarts?”

“That's a bit of a stretch,” Yuuri laughed. He looked down at his costume. He and Victor had chosen characters from one of the fairytales Hiroko liked to read to the dragons, _Two Kings, One Kingdom_. It wasn't a _true_ romance, technically, but Victor insisted if you read between the lines the two kings obviously loved each other. According to the story, they began as rivals, raised in their separate lands to believe their kingdom was superior in every way. This lead to a lifetime of attempts at outdoing the other, from trying to have more wealth, the best architecture, most plentiful farmlands, and most exotic wildlife. Cue a long string of chapters of them one upping each other.

Finally, the king in the seaside kingdom traveled across the ocean and returned with one of the rarest of all creatures, a dragon. Determined not to be outdone, the king in the desert kingdom crossed the barren wasteland and returned with a dragon as well. Unable to come up with anything to top this accomplishment, the first king felt his only option was to rid himself of his competitor once and for all. He sent a letter to the desert kingdom announcing his intent to wage war if the king did not surrender. Of course, the desert king was not about to surrender to a man he'd never actually met, and he responded that he would meet him on the battlefield.

Each king rallied their troops and marched to the edges of their kingdoms. Both were relying heavily on their dragons to be their secret weapon, the sea kingdoms dragon able to breathe the hottest steam, and the desert kingdoms dragon able to breathe scorching fire. When the two armies met, each king sent their dragon to lead the charge, and the great beasts raced toward each other. The water dragon sent a burst of steam, and the fire dragon responded with a breath of fire. When the elements mixed, the fire evaporated the steam between them, leaving both unharmed. The dragons tried again several times, and when the same happened, they sat back on their haunches, aggressive stances relaxed as they considered the other, coming to the conclusion that they were equally matched. Despite the urging of the kings to resume their fight, the dragons ignored them, settling down in the grass of the battlefield together.

Bewildered, both kings ordered their troops to stand down as they went to investigate. They cautiously approached the dragons who thoroughly ignored them. After a few more attempts to urge them to get up, they gave up and looked at each other for the first time. Both had expected the other to be repulsive on sight, ugly and rude and intolerable. Instead, the kings felt the exact opposite. Once they began discussing what was to happen now, they found the other to be quite polite and agreeable.

Several pages outlined their budding friendship and desire to put aside a lifetime of competition in favor of cooperation. They began trading goods between the lands before, years down the road, they decided both kingdoms would benefit if they were to unite. The two kings left their castles and built a third on the grassy plain where they'd met all those years ago for battle. Together they ruled their united kingdom, the dragons that brought them together at their sides.

Victor had opted to dress as the desert king with a beautiful pink coat that started pale and darkened down the torso, accented with gold chains on the shoulders and across the chest. Among the sea of black robes, he certainly stood out. Yuuri had a matching outfit in blue, representative of the sea kingdoms ruler. He'd never dressed in costume for the ball, even as a student, and he thought he'd feel a little foolish. To his surprise, he felt rather pleased as they stood together greeting students as they arrived. Their costumes were striking, and Yuuri couldn't help but feel a little boost to his confidence each time one of his students fawned over the little details.

* * *

Once all the students had trickled in for the feast Victor and Yuuri took their seats at the staff table, Victor delighting in being sat between Yuuri and Satsuki. Yuuri was pleased to have Professor Morooka on his other side rather than the intimidatingly aggressive Arithmancy professor he tried to avoid.

Not much supervision was required during the feast, the staff just taking turns having a single professor circle the room to ensure all was well. “Once the music starts is when things get rowdy,” Satsuki told Victor. “You really have to keep your eye on them then.”

When it was Victor's turn to make the rounds about the student tables, he passed through quickly, smiling at the students who waved and greeted him. He always felt a little bubble of joy when around the students, even if he wasn't a full time professor.

“Mr. Nikiforov,” called Kiyomi, one of the girls in his study group. “I noticed you and Professor Katsuki have matching costumes.”

“Yes,” he beamed, striking a pose to show it off. “Aren't they divine? I've always wanted to dress up as the Desert King, but never had the occasion to. I couldn't go without my Sea King, after all!”

Kiyomi and her two friends beside her giggled. “How did you talk Professor Katsuki into it?”

“I can be pretty convincing when I want to be,” Victor said with a little wink.

“He must _really_ like you,” continued Kiyomi. “We overheard Professor Morooka say he _never_ dressed up before.”

Victor chuckled at that before it dawned on him that these students apparently didn't realize he and Yuuri were together. How? Wasn't it obvious? They were always together! Though...they didn't overlap that much at school, now that he thought about it... Suppressing a grin, he tapped a finger thoughtfully to his lips. “Do you really think so?” he asked innocently.

“Definitely!” chimed in one of the other girls. “Did you notice how red he turned when you popped into our Transfiguration class last week?”

Victor put on his best wide-eyed, clueless expression. “I'm sure he was just surprised to have me interrupt.”

“But-!”

“Back to dinner, ladies,” he said, motioning for them to turn back around on their benches and resume their meal. “We shouldn't gossip about one of the professors, you know.” Victor couldn't help himself, adding in, “Don't want to get my hopes up for nothing, do you?”

The girls whirled around, whispering furiously among themselves as Victor strolled away, catching quiet exclamations of _he does like the professor!_

Back at the staff table, Yuuri looked questioningly at Victor as he sat down, Victor laughing lightly to himself as he did so. “What's so funny?” Yuuri asked.

“I believe some of our mutual students are conspiring to get us together.”

Yuuri blinked at him. “But we are together.”

“We don't have to let them know though,” Victor grinned. “Where's the fun in that?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Had to find a way to get them in the Stammi Viccno outfits, as my sister requested them, haha. I hope you're happy now, FoxHunt42. Couldn't think of why they'd be muggle ice skaters so I came up with a little story. This is the third dragon fairytale from Hiroko's book that I've referenced. Would anyone be interested in me writing one/all of them out fully for a bonus chapter? Or even plug Victor and Yuuri into them and make it its own actual fic? Let me know, I'd be willing to write it if anyone is willing to read it xD
> 
> Also, the objects into dragons spell is real. Think back to Goblet of Fire and how they pulled those dragons out of the bag to see which you had to get the egg from. I went back and forth on if that would be abused or not, but ultimately decided if they had it in canon and people weren't out there making dragons pop up left and right, it should be fine. In our world it's a temporary thing, like a few hours. According to my research it's proportional to the size of the object you enchant, so like a rock would be a pocket sized dragon like they had in the movie, but if you charmed an elephant or something it'd be a big dragon. Thought it would be a fun spell for Yuuri to invent. We'll talk about it more later, but just wanted to give you some insight into what I'm thinking. (and no staff freaked out because they're like "oh wow what a cool decoration", in case you're wondering why nobody was like omg dragons are real! sorry if that wasn't clear)


	11. The Halloween Ball Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Victor and Yuuri enjoy the Halloween Ball.

When it was clear the feast was winding down, Yuuri slipped away to the stage to double check their entertainment was ready to begin. He hadn't believed Satsuki when she told him they'd gotten the Weird Sisters to perform at their school dance, but apparently they were cousins with one of the students and agreed to a ridiculously low rate for such a popular band. Some of the older professors had voted for Celestina Warbeck, but as well known as she was, seeing as she was now in her nineties, the rest of the staff thought the students would prefer something a little more modern.

While the Weird Sisters were popular with the students, Yuuri was no stranger to their music himself. He was quite excited about having them here, and was proud of keeping a level head around them. Maybe spending so much time with Victor, practically a celebrity himself, had helped him become a little immune to feeling starstruck.

“Any last minute adjustments?” he asked as the band looked over their equipment. They had a few minutes before the curtain draped around the stage would be banished and the students would flood from the dining area to the dance floor before the stage.

“We're all set,” Myron said, and Yuuri nodded and hurried off the stage. He caught Headmaster Kida's gaze where he sat at the head of the staff table and gave him the _okay_ gesture, and the man nodded and got to his feet. He gave a short speech before introducing the band, and when the students heard Weird Sisters were here the shrieking began. Yuuri still couldn't believe they'd managed to keep it a secret, especially considering they knew one of the students. As the young witches and wizards wildly looked around, as if the eight band members may appear out of the shadows, the curtain on the far side of the hall dropped to reveal the band. The ear shattering squeals somehow grew in volume as the students flocked to the stage, the band immediately beginning their wildly popular hit _Do The Hippogriff_.

Yuuri fought the wave of students to make his way back to the staff table to rejoin Victor and Satsuki.

Satsuki said something Victor couldn't quite catch, and he called, “What?” over the music and screams.

“I said _I told you_ it would get rowdy when the music started!”

“I'm going to be honest with you,” he shouted back, “I've never actually chaperoned anything before! What exactly are we supposed to do?”

“Keep the kids alive!” she answered, grinning, and with a quick pat to his arm she got to her feet. “Pray for me, I'm going in!” Yuuri took his seat beside Victor again and they watched Satsuki wade into the crowd of dancing teens. Within seconds she was swallowed up and they lost sight of her.

“...I think I'll keep an eye on the _edge_ of the crowd,” Victor decided.

Yuuri snickered. “This is tame compared to Ilvermorny. You should have seen Phichit the year The Hex Girls performed at our Yule Ball...” He was pretty sure that night was still one of Phichit's favorites.

Victor placed a hand on Yuuri's knee, the action hidden beneath the table in front of them. “I'd much rather have seen _you_.” How fun it would have been to be Yuuri's date to a school dance.

“I'm two left feet,” Yuuri insisted, but Victor absolutely did not believe him.

“You promised me one dance, Professor Katsuki!” Victor reminded him, deciding to brave the dance floor. “Don't think you're leaving here tonight without following through!” He got to his feet.

Yuuri rolled his eyes fondly. “We'll see. Now go make sure none of the students try to spike the pumpkin juice. I'm going to keep an eye on the stage, I don't want any students trying to climb up and join the band.”

“Is that likely to happen?” asked Victor.

Yuuri laughed. “If we have any aspiring Phichit's it is.” He left a shocked yet curious Victor behind as he weaved his way around the room, and when he looked back over his shoulder he saw Victor sticking to the edge of the mass of dancing, flailing bodies, en route to the refreshment table.

The night passed quickly, the staff kept busy with keeping drinks and snacks plentiful, ensuring the dancing didn't get too risque and watching for students sneaking off to explore the palace after hours. Victor and Yuuri tried to keep track of each other, but spent most of the night chasing after students and putting out fires. (Once, literally, when a student tripped over his own feet and crashed into one of the torches on the wall, knocking it off center and setting alight the nearby curtains. Yuuri was never so grateful to be so familiar with _aquamenti.)_

The Weird Sisters kept up a steady stream of wizard rock songs for two hours, tiring out the dancers as it neared ten o'clock. For the last song they chose a slower one, those still up for dancing almost breathing a sigh of relief for the break. The lead singer Myron, who had been bouncing around the stage all night, took to the center, settling the mic into a stand as he said, “This one's going out to all the lovers out there. Hold each other tight...and keep each other warm... _and dance_ ,” he sang. “ _Your final dance..._ ”

The mass of students had slowly been dwindling as students became tired or more interested in retreating to their common rooms. Victor had wandered over to Yuuri's side, bumping him lightly. “You still owe me a dance,” he said quietly, no longer needing to shout as sleepy students danced in slow circles before them.

“ _This is...your final chance..._ ”

Yuuri glanced at him, lips quirking into a smile. “I _want_ to,” he promised. “But we _are_ supposed to be watching them.”

“There's five minutes left,” Victor assured him. “What could happen? Anyway they're too tired for mischief.”

“Don't underestimate teenagers,” Yuuri chuckled.

“ _To hold...the one you love. You know you've waited long enough...”_

Victor held his hand out, nodding toward a nearby curtain hiding a small balcony from view. “Five minutes,” he said again. Yuuri bit his lip as if he were debating, but honestly he'd been hoping Victor would spirit him away all night. He slipped his hand into Victor's and they snuck behind the curtain into the cool night air.

Once on the balcony and away from student's view, Victor grinned and pulled Yuuri close, wrapping his arms around Yuuri's waist. Yuuri looped his own arms around Victor's neck. He may have been joking about having two left feet, but he was certainly too exhausted for more than turning in slow, lazy circles.

“ _And believe...that magic works...don't be afraid...of being hurt...”_

 _“_ You dance beautifully,” Victor teased as they swayed back and forth.

“Shut up,” Yuuri mumbled fondly, melting against him and resting his head on Victor's chest. His arms came down to return Victor's embrace, and he failed at stifling a yawn. “It was a long night.”

“It was a lovely night,” Victor said.

Yuuri smiled. “Yes it was.”

“ _Don't let...this magic die...the answer's there...oh just look in her eyes...”_

They held each other in a comfortable silence, enjoying the music and having the other in their arms. They saw each other daily so it was hardly unusual to be close, but there was something special about dancing under the stars to a lovely melody that made Yuuri feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

“ _And make...your final move. Don't be scared...she wants you to.”_

Victor was the first to speak again. “This is the best Halloween I've had in a long time.”

“Mhmm,” Yuuri hummed in agreement, eyes slipping shut.

“I normally spend it with my parents. You know Muggles celebrate Halloween? Very differently...they have very strange customs for it...”

“Hmm,” Yuuri hummed again, listening more to the sound of Victor's voice than his words. “I've never seen a Muggle Halloween...”

“ _Yeah it's hard...you must be brave...don't let this moment slip away.”_

Victor let out a deep breath. “Would you like to see a Muggle Christmas?”

Yuuri heard the question but didn't comprehend the question. Not at first, anyway. “Hmm?” he frowned, his happy, sleepy brain needing a moment to catch up. In a second his eyes opened, and he leaned back to look at Victor. “Huh?” he asked, wide eyed.

Victor looked uncharacteristically nervous. “Would you come home with me for Christmas?” he asked. “To meet my parents?” Yuuri stared at him. “They've been dying to meet you ever since I sent them that letter letting them know I'm in Japan.”

“They want to meet me?” asked Yuuri.

“Of course,” Victor laughed lightly. “Why wouldn't they?” Yuuri had no answer for that. “I've known your family for quite a while now,” Victor continued. “I'd really like it if you met mine.” Yuuri's mouth opened but no words came out. Victor's excitement toned down a bit, a slight furrow in his brows despite his efforts to hide it. “But if you're not ready-”

“I-I've never met a Muggle before,” Yuuri blurted out.

Victor let out a startled little laugh. “That's what you're worried about?”

“I mean there were Muggle born students at Ilvermorny – and at Mahoutokoro – but it's different because they're _here_ in the magical community _._ I know your dad's a Muggle and I don't have any idea how to act-” He was cut off by Victor putting a finger to his lips.

“Yuuri,” he smiled. “You wouldn't need to act in any way. Just be yourself and I know they'd love you.” He lowered his hand and pressed a quick kiss to Yuuri's lips. “Just like I love you.”

Yuuri blushed, still not used to hearing that, though Victor was saying it more often lately. “Vitya...” Yuuri hid his face in Victor's chest again, squeezing him in a tight embrace. “I'd love to spend Christmas with your family.”

Victor was certain his heart did a somersault. His parents had been asking more and more about this mysterious boyfriend Victor mentioned, his mother in particular. Victor had given them as much information as they felt comfortable sharing in a letter, but there was so much more to Yuuri than could be put into words, even if they didn't have to censor themselves for the dragons safety. “Perfect,” Victor said quietly. “I'll write to them first thing in the morning. They'll be so excited.”

“ _And don't believe that magic can die...no, no, no this magic can't die...”_

Yuuri peeked up from where he was hiding against Victor. He realized that at some point they'd stopped dancing, if you could call what they were doing dancing. “Vitya?” Victor looked attentively down at him. Yuuri knew what he wanted to say, he meant it emphatically, yet it always seemed harder for him to get it out than Victor, who said it so generously now. “I love you too.”

Victor beamed and leaned down to kiss Yuuri again, arms circling Yuuri's waist once more. At some point one of them began swaying again, the other following, and they kissed and giggled and danced until long after the song had ended.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Weird Sisters played at Hogwarts during the Yule Ball in Goblet of Fire. There's a deleted scene of the whole song Do the Hippogriff on Youtube. The song lyrics in the fic are from their song Magic Works (https://youtu.be/4l5ACTUo37g). I love that this fandom is dedicated enough to have wizard rock bands with multiple full songs xD


	12. Dragon Zoo Tour Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chris and Masumi see more of the zoo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Thanksgiving!

After the dragon had finished eating they left its cave, hopping on their brooms and flying a little ways up the mountain side to another cave. Chris had been disheartened to hear that the scarred Fireball was their dragon in the _best_ condition, finding that a little hard to comprehend until they moved on to the next cave.

“This is enchanted for three of our five Hebridean Blacks. They're one of our more aggressive breeds, and we have to keep the males apart,” Maja said as they entered, keeping an eye out for one of the dark dragons that may be lurking in the shadows. “In this area we have one male and two female, and next door is one male and one female.”

They made it through the cave without spotting a dragon, and when they reached the clearing inside the mountain they found a rocky scene with a little stream running down the center of the area. On the right of the stream were large boulders, and on the left a mixture of pebbles and patches of grass. Chris looked around curiously for a few moments before he realized two dragons were sleeping among the boulders, black scales blending in with the rocks around them. At the sound of the group approaching one opened its eyes, and Chris did a full body shiver when he was looked over by the stunning purple eyes.

“They can get up to about thirty feet long,” said Famela's father Felix. “Their tail has an arrow-shaped tip, I don't know if you can see it when they're laying down...”

“I see two...” said Famela, craning her neck to look around from a safe distance. “Ziselaer, the older female, must be out hunting for a snack.”

The two looked identical to Chris and Masumi. “How can you tell them apart?” he wondered.

Famela frowned. “These two can't fly,” she explained.

Their expressions fell too. “Why not?” asked Chris, uncertain if he wanted the answer.

“One has a broken wing,” said Maja. “We've tried to fix it but it's an older wound, and it healed incorrectly a while before we found him. He can't beat it fast or strong enough to stay airborne. And with her,” she motioned to the dragon eyeing them suspiciously still. “You can't tell since she has her wings furled close to her body, but they were clipped to the point they're too small and tattered for flight.”

“Clipped?” asked Masumi, Chris beside him in horrified silence.

Felix nodded. “Think of how bird owners clip their wings to prevent them from flying away. The main difference, however, is that it's painless to clip a birds feathers, but most dragons don't have feathery wings. Their wings are flaps of skin stretched between bone, and it is most definitely painful when they're cut.”

“There's terrible,” said Masumi, while Chris asked, “I thought they were like bat wings?” Yuuri had explained how with time Verndari's wings healed and he was able to fly again. “They heal naturally on their own?”

“If it had been just once, maybe they would have,” Famela agreed. “But we guess that it was a routine for however long it was in captivity. It may have been months, it may have been years, but the wings have now become accustomed to the length and even though she's been here about a year now, they haven't improved. We think they're permanently damaged.”

Chris stomach twisted into knots. “And it was just left here?” he asked.

Famela nodded. “We found these two together. We're guessing whoever owned them got themselves new trophy pets and had no use for them anymore. Ziselaer, the healthiest of the three, was already here and luckily took to them right away, took up the mother hen role pretty quickly.” They hadn't been sure if introducing two dragons with limited defenses would be wise, but she'd welcomed the company.

“And...they're all like this?” asked Chris weakly. The Ahlbergs nodded. “I don't think I want to see anymore...” He'd delighted in Yuuri's sanctuary, the dragons seemingly happy and content as they roamed around and monitored the nursery. Their biggest issue was what to do with all the babies, and patching up a few juveniles who played a little too rough. It was a blissful little hideaway of magical creatures. You could almost forget that out in the wild dragons were hunted and killed for sport or caught to be sold. Here... the reality of what dragons were facing was much harder to ignore.

Masumi let his cautious, defensive auror exterior drop for just a moment, whispering a soft, “ _Cheri_ ,” as he pulled his boyfriend into a loose hug. Chris swallowed, willing the nauseous feeling in his throat to die down. “I know this is unpleasant to see. But this is what Victor and Yuuri are working to stop. And you're a part of that now. You'll help prevent dragons in the future from going through something like this.”

Chris nodded against his chest. “I know. I just...I just can't help but imagine Yuuri's triplets being treated like this. They're so precious and trusting...if they were to ever slip out of Yuuri's sight and wind up captured by people capable of doing things like cursing their scales off or breaking their wings... It would just destroy Yuuri...”

“He won't let that happen,” Masumi assured him. “Neither will we.”

“Triplets?” asked Famela, not wanting to interrupt them but also curious as to what they were talking about.

Chris stood straighter, moving to press against Masumi's side, one arm still wrapped around his waist for comfort. “Three little Opaleye hatchlings our friend rescued,” he said. “He's...very attached to them.”

“Oh, Opals are so cute,” Famela smiled. “We had one here when I was little, but it moved on some years ago. They don't really care for the cold weather here. I hope it made it somewhere safe and warm.”

Chris smiled a little too, but he was still feeling overwhelmed with all he'd learned. “Would you mind if we had some time alone?” he asked. “We can leave the Hebredian area if you'd prefer. I just want to check in with Yuuri.”

“Sure,” Famela agreed. “Why don't we go back to the main entrance?” Masumi nodded, and after Famela Disapparated, he took Chris back to where they'd first entered the mountain, Felix and Maja appearing beside them a few seconds later. The chairs they'd conjured were still there in the grass, and they sat back down in them.

“We'll give you some privacy,” said Maja, motioning for Famela and Felix to follow her. “Please don't wander away. We have more than dragons in here, and some beasts are particularly good escape artists.” Chris was once again incredibly relieved to be beside Masumi, certain he could ward off a rogue acromantula or erumpent if one stumbled upon them.

Once the Ahlberg's were a good distance away, the family chatting in the grassy plain well out of earshot, Chris pulled his two-way mirror out of his pocket. “Yuuri Katsuki,” he said, and waited for a reaction. A few moments later a familiar face appeared.

“Hey Chris,” Yuuri smiled. “How's your Swedish adventure going?”

“Definitely not as expected,” Chris said.

“Oh?” asked Yuuri.

“...Are you sitting down?” he asked. Yuuri nodded. “Is Victor with you?”

“He's got Quidditch practice tonight. He should be home in an hour or so. Is everything alright?”

“Ah...yes and no,” said Chris. He glanced at Masumi and then back to Yuuri, who was looking increasingly concerned. “We found dragons,” he began, and before Yuuri could ask more he added, “We also found another sanctuary.”

Yuuri blinked, not comprehending at first. “...What?!” he gasped.

“Should we wait for Victor?” asked Masumi, but Yuuri quickly spoke over him with, “Tell me everything!”


	13. Home Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A different point of view on poaching and captivity.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is some vague violence in this chapter, just so you know. I don't think it'll upset anyone, but there are a few casualties of unnamed, unimportant people.
> 
> My sister was very upset this wasn’t Yuuri’s reaction lol but it’s not done and I didn’t want to rush. This is relevant for later anyway :) promise

Azura spent the day chasing her youngest hatchlings around the lake, supervising their swim time and breaking up fights over lunch and dinner. Verndari, as usual, had been basking in the desert heat, Dara flopped on her back beside him. Today she had dragged along a timid Common Welsh Green with her, and though Verndari had raised a curious brow at the newcomer, he didn't protest since they clearly had Dara's seal of approval.

After herding them all in to the nursery after dinner she laid down in the grass beside Vicchan. He immediately chirped a hello and curled up close, radiating a content, affectionate aura. Azura rumbled back pleasantly and sent a small breath of steam over him to warm up his scales, a habit they'd done since he was small. She remembered back when he was too young to fly, how she'd soar low in the sky, just out of reach, teasing him with bursts of steam that he'd race to bite and jump through. Her fondness of the memory bled into her mood, and Vicchan hummed curiously as he settled beside her. She breathed another small burst and he happily closed his eyes, distracted by the comforting heat.

When her oldest was snoozing soundly beside her, Azura looked over the large cluster of nests before her. The layout was much different than what she remembered from her home. Her mother and father had one small stone nest at the back of their seaside cave. The stones were stacked in a small pool, the eggs dry on top, and they would rotate whose turn it was to heat the pool and eggs with steam. The boiling water would keep the stones warm for long enough to allow them both to nap together between hunting for food. Azura remembers only one or two eggs in the nest at a time, quite different from the large clusters of four or five in each nest before her, and there had never been more than one nest in a cave. This was a strange development, but one she adored, to be honest. So many little ones to dote on...

The scaleless, wingless family was here tonight, turning the eggs just as carefully as Azura would herself. She was used to them now, and often was pleased to see them and have help, but sometimes she still wondered _why_ they helped. They were very different from the others of their kind she'd met.

The first had been so long ago now she didn't remember their details. Male, she was sure, but it was a blurry memory. She'd been learning to fly then, her mother taking her out for short lessons several times a day. Her mother had been such a beautiful flier, her teal scales absolutely dazzling in the sun. She'd taken Azura to the cliffs over the sea and shown her how to safely glide down to the water. They would then swim to shore, climb the cliff, and do it again, over and over until her mother grew bored or tired and dragged Azura back to their cave to rest.

One afternoon her parents had left her to watch over her younger brother, newly hatched only a few months ago, and the solitary egg on the stone nest. She'd huffed what steam she could in annoyance, stomping her clawed feet, but her father had barked a reprimand while her mother nuzzled against her. She was babysitting, that was final.

The pair flew off and Azura shuffled back into the cave. She checked that the pool was boiling, heating it a little for good measure, then plopped down beside her napping brother. He was a dark navy, the perfect copy of their father. She tried to fall asleep, but felt too restless. It was such a beautiful day outside, perfect for flying. It was a shame to waste it cooped up inside.

After some time, with no hint her brother was waking any time soon, Azura stood and padded over to the entrance of her cave. She could try a few glides and be back before he woke, surely...

She ran out and dove into the water, swimming around to the part of the cliff that was easiest to climb. She'd never glided without her mother, but she was getting so good at it, it should be fine... Once at the top she braced herself, threw open her wings, and leaped off the cliff. She loved the feeling of weightlessness that came with this, and if gliding was this much fun she couldn't wait to fully fly!

She quickly lost track of time, sometimes diving off the cliff and twirling through the water. When she surfaced, she sunk her claws into the cliff side just as she heard the familiar cry of her brother. Assuming he was startled to awake alone, she huffed and dropped to the water, beginning the short swim back to the cave. When he cried again, sounding even more distressed, she felt her stomach drop as she dove underwater, racing back home.

She burst out of the water at the cave entrance and found several two legged creatures in her home. Two were cornering her brother at the back of the cave and three were eyeing the nest. With a roar she charged in, headbutting the two away from her brother and standing protectively in front of him. Immediately she felt odd points of pressure on her chest and head, colorful streams of light coming from the creatures. She growled and whipped her tail, pushing one she'd already knocked to the ground into the boiling pool. It shrieked, radiating agony, but she paid it no mind, turning to the rest.

The pesky lights continued, one hitting a soft spot from where she'd lost a few scales swimming, diving too close to some sharp rocks. It hurt, and she barked, whipping her tail again in warning to keep them at bay. They were all making so much noise it was distracting, and she tried to keep them all in sight. Once or twice they tried to sneak up by her brother but she snapped her jaws or swatted with her claws.

So preoccupied was she that Azura almost didn't notice one was too close to the nest. With alarm she saw the egg rise on its own from the stones and begin to float toward one of the creatures. Adrenaline pumping, she panicked and sent the hottest burst of steam she'd ever managed. The creature howled and fell to the ground, pink flesh turning red, and its companion cried before both vanished before her eyes.

Two gone, one floating lifelessly in the pool...that left two more. She quickly scanned the area and saw that the egg had landed in the pool. She was relieved it hadn't landed on the stone floor and cracked, but also knew it couldn't be in that hot of water for too long. She had to get to it, but she couldn't leave her little brother unprotected.

The lights were a constant bombardment now, another striking her small exposed patch of skin. It didn't hurt this time, but she felt incredibly tired all of a sudden. Confused, she felt a sense of urgency beyond the panic she was already experiencing. The two remaining creatures were keeping their distance, waiting for something, and she didn't want to find out what. Pushing through the fog she charged at them once more, sinking her fangs into one rather than the threatening snapping from before. Her prey screamed, but she kept her jaw clamped tight, shaking her head back and forth until it fell silent. She dropped it and turned to the pool, plunging her head and neck in and grasping the egg carefully in her mouth. The water was too hot, even for her, but she kept her focus, pulling the egg out and depositing it back on the stones.

A frightened cry from behind made her whirl around. The remaining creature was only a few paces away from the navy hatchling, arm outstretched to touch it. Azura hurled herself across the cave, diving between the two and suddenly feeling as if the whole world was spinning around her. Disoriented and still so tired, she felt her eyes close against her will. Her body felt limp, and she could only briefly wonder if the same was happening to her brother before everything went black.

* * *

When she awoke she still felt like her mind was in a fog. It took a few moments for her to register that she was awake, that what she was laying on didn't feel like the familiar damp stone floor of her cave. Her little brother wasn't snoring softly beside her like he always did.

At the thought of him her eyes flew open, and she was on her feet in an instant. She turned wildly in all directions looking for him, but she was no longer in her cave. Around her were cold, silver, unfamiliar things. She tried a burst of steam to melt them away, and when that didn't work she threw her whole weight against them, but they didn't budge. She barely had space to turn about, and no way to getting a running start. She roared angrily, testing them again and again but only was rewarded with aching sides. Beyond her and this barrier were more of those two legged creatures. Her steam didn't reach them, though that didn't stop her from trying.

Their sounds were quieter now. After Azura tired herself out, laying down as best she could in the cramped space, one approached. She gave one last attempt at a boiling burst of steam, but the bright lights from before flashed before her, and the creature was left unharmed by her attack. Though frustrated and scared, she could at least be grateful that she didn't see a little navy hatchling anywhere around. She hoped that meant her brother had been left behind in their cave.

Calmer now, and still feeling unnaturally drowsy, she laid still and let herself pick up on her surroundings. She didn't feel a predatory sense from these things, nor hateful or even hungry. She didn't think she'd been caught for their meal. Instead it was a confusing, jumbled mess of emotions from each one, ranging from euphoria to curious to satisfied. One that she recognized from the cave had an aura of dread and sorrow, and she wondered if it was related to one of the things she'd attacked. In her defense, they'd started it.

She went back to sleep a short while later, and when she awoke this time the foggy feeling was gone. She tried to bite and claw whatever was trapping her in this small area, but once again they held firm. After some time passed one creature approached with meat and tossed it at her feet. She sniffed it suspiciously, but the growling in her stomach talked her into eating it.

After that she was left on her own. Now and then one would approach and look at her, squawking its odd noises, then retreat. Meat was thrown to her periodically, and while she'd prefer fish she took what she could get, scarfing it down greedily and always left hardly satisfied. Her scales were drying out, becoming itchy and irritating, and there was only so much her steam could do for them. She _really_ needed to bathe properly.

She thought days must be passing, it felt like she'd been here for _ages_ , yet the night never came. Above her was unlike sky she'd ever seen, brown and black with bright lights like little suns scattered about it, only these suns never set. It set her nerves even more on end not being able to gauge time.

At some point, after who knows how long, the creatures approached her differently than they had been. Lights burst from them again, and she found herself and her prison rising off the floor. She thrashed in a panic, but it did little to stop it, and she floated over a good distance before being set back on the ground. There was another similarly prison shaped object next to her, but rather than thin bars like hers it was completely covered. She looked apprehensively at it for a moment before she heard a grumbling from within.

Azura sat up, completely alert. She barked out a greeting, and saw the thing beside her tremble as another bark echoed back. It was a dragon, that she was sure of, but it sounded nothing like her family. She was both releived they weren't here too and disappointed, as she wished for nothing more than her parents right now. Her temporary relief and excitement was met with a wave of anger, the occupant beside her clearly thrashing about. She suspected the anger wasn't directed at her, but she still cowered back at the intensity of it.

The creatures around them shouted and hit the cage with something that was loud and echoing, and Azura barked in agitation. She sent a burst of steam but it appeared to hit an invisible wall. That was so _frustrating_. She tried to communicate once again with the dragon beside her, but before she could manage more than a few tentative rumbles a creature approached her cage. She growled, but it radiated amusement before putting a hand on the bars, and she once again felt the world swirl around her and go black.

* * *

Azura awoke to darkness. After so long in the unending light, she was startled when she opened her eyes and saw nothing but black. She hopped to her feet, ready to growl through her restraints at whatever was near her, only to find they were gone. Looking about her cautiously, she saw no creatures in sight, apparently all by herself in a plain of tall grass. At once she began to run, having no idea where she was or where she was going, only trying to put as much distance between herself and whatever had caught her before. She ran for several minutes before abruptly running into something solid yet invisible. Shaking her head to chase away the dizziness that the collision caused, she slowly took a step forward only for her head to bump against something. There was more grass before her but something was preventing her from getting to it. She turned and whipped her tail, but it too struck upon seemingly nothing and fell to the ground.

Azura turned and started walking in another direction, occassionally testing to see if the invisible barrier was gone. It never was. She followed it through the grass for some time before she spotted a little pond in the distance. Desperate to relieve her dull, itchy scales, she ran for the water, hurrying in. It wasn't deep, hardly reaching her chest, but she rolled and delighted in the feeling of soothing her scales. Once she'd satisfactorily doused her entire body, she sat at the deepest point, wanting to stay submerged for as long as possible.

She tried to take in her current situation. No creatures, that was good. No way through the barrier, that was bad. No immediate danger, that was good. No obvious signs of prey, that was bad. Shallow pond, but water nonetheless...

Movement among the shadows caught her attention, and she sank further into the pond, nostrils and eyes just about the only part of her above the waterline. She watched nervously for another sign of life, barely able to make out anything in the dark. She rose enough for her ears to be out and strained them to pick up any sounds, and after a moment she heard heavy footsteps approaching. Panicking, she had no choice but to press down against the mud of the ponds floor, willing herself to become completely hidden from the approaching threat.

Slowly a huge form began to take shape from the shadows, and soon the outline of a large dragon was visible. Azura watched anxiously as it padded closer to the pool and stop at its edge. She held her breath, worried her very breathing would cause noticeable ripples around her. The new arrival bent down and began to drink from the water, unaware it was being watched. Eventually it raised its head, looking aimlessly down at the water. It blinked lazily a few times before its eyes met Azura's, two white orbs reflecting the moonlight among the black water.

It reared back instantly, roaring and getting into a defensive position, teeth bared. Azura skittered out from the water, heart racing, and dashed back to the tall grass. She could hear it persuing her, and all too soon she crashed into the invisible fence. She whirled around, baring her teeth in return, having no hope of intimidating a dragon twice her size but trying nevertheless.

It caught up to her quickly, roaring again and drowning out Azura's hiss. This close, she could see it was a monstrously huge red dragon, with blazing yellow eyes and talons on its paws that could rival her largest fangs. The dragon radiated aggression, clearly startled by her surprise appearance and very unhappy about it. Throwing its head back, it breathed a column of red hot fire into the air, Azura able to feel the heat even from a good distance away. She coughed out a puff of steam.

Lowering its head, the dragon took a few more paces toward her, glaring at her as he looked her over. _Male_ , she thought, sniffing the air. _Definitely male_. She tried to send a wave of peace, but her emotions were all over the place, and she wasn't sure she could produce any feeling other than terror. When he finally took a step too close for comfort, Azura summoned every ounce of strength and sent a burst of steam at its eyes. It recoiled, growling, and she sprinted past it, running through the grass once again and through the pond to the other side.

As she caught her breath, she turned to see it following her once again, rounding the pond. She kept moving as well, keeping the pond between them. Azura was certain it would grow tired of this game and just charge straight through, but after circling nearly a dozen times she realized that it truly wasn't going to enter the water. Sensing her one chance of safety, she hurried back in to the center and once again sank as low as she could. The red dragon paced on the grass several yards away but didn't make any move to follow her in. He sent another breath of flames her way, but she ducked under the water to avoid it, surfacing carefully and keeping only her eyes above to keep watch.

They sat there all night, the male roaring and breathing his hot flames, Azura staying stubbornly underwater, rising only enough to roar back now and then. The sun began to rise, and though she was tired from the stress of relocating and being cornered all night, she kept alert, eyes never leaving the dragon glaring at her.

Hours passed, the sun rising higher, the air heating up. She was thankful for the cool water, certain she'd dry out quickly if she'd been stranded on land. The red dragon was laying in the grass by the pond, and she noticed he was eyeing the water more than her lately. Perhaps the heat was getting to him?

He got to his feet, glancing between her and the water, and when he was within a few feet he began to lower his head. Azura jumped to her feet, beating her wings as hard as she could, sending water spraying in all directions as she stomped and thrashed, charging forward. For the first time she seemed to gain some ground, the red dragon hastily backing up and growling, shaking off the water angrily. When he was back to a comfortable distance Azura settled back into the water, satisfied with the confirmation that her favorite element was also her best form of protection.

* * *

By mid day both were clearly exhausted. Azura was grateful for the water, but her stomach was aching. She suspected the red dragon felt the same, maybe even worse, as he hadn't had anything to drink all day. She resolved to let him get a few gulps the next time he tried, but she'd be ready if he made a move toward her.

Before that happened, both of their attentions were drawn to the tall grass. A loud _crack_ split the air, making them both jump, and suddenly three of those two-legged things appeared. Azura was thankful to be hidden in the water, selfishly hoping they wouldn't see her and go for the male.

They were squawking at each other again. Azura didn't care for the sound, finding it grating on her ears. She sank lower to drown it out. She watched rather than heard the other dragon rumble a warning, teeth bared.

After some time the three slowly walked over, pointing and making those odd noises all the while, those damn colorful lights bouncing off the red dragons scales. Azura watched, hidden, as he sent columns of fire their way, flames always diverted by an invisible shield. Just like her steam. How did these creatures _do that_?

Finally having enough of this nonsense, the red dragon pushed off the ground and into the sky. Azura watched, both jealous and impressed, as it rose higher each time it circled. Just as she feared he would leave her to these things and escape, he hit yet another unseen barrier in the sky. He flew quickly in another direction with the same result. Roaring in fury, he turned to dive toward the intruders, being pelted by lights as he did so.

Taking advantage of the distraction, Azura burst out of the water and charged toward the creatures. She had one in her jaws before they even realized she was there, and when they turned those streams of light on her, she dove back into the water, prey and all. She stayed beneath the surface until her catch stopped struggling, then surfaced to see the aftermath. The red dragon was once again on the ground, pacing back and forth, though thankfully he was not glaring at her anymore. The creatures were gone, as far as she could tell, and she breathed a sigh of relief.

Once the two dragons were certain no further ambush was coming their way, their attention returned to each other. Azura was standing in the water, prey floating beside her, and the red dragon stood at the waters edge. Cautiously, Azura picked up her prize and waded to the opposite side of the pond and stepped onto dry land. The red dragon didn't make a move. Encouraged, Azura moved a little further onto the grass before dropping her meal and settling down beside it. As she began eating this peculair animal, finding it surprisingly delicious, the red dragon took the opportunity to get a drink of water.

When Azura ate enough to stop the ache in her stomach, she stopped and considered her options. While she was hungry enough to finish the whole thing, she was aware the red dragon hadn't eaten anything all day. It was impossible to know when the next creature would pass by. Hours? Days? The smart thing to do would be to eat when she could. However, she'd been taught better than that, and her mother would nip her hard if she knew she let another dragon go hungry. Even if it was a _fire_ dragon. Blegh.

Azura stood and barked softly to get the males attention. When he looked her way, she pointed glanced down at the meat before walking back into the pond, taking her usual place in the center. Even from this distance she felt the strong wave of surprise, tinged with a hint of suspicion. She remained silent, sinking further into the water and closing her eyes. She _had_ to sleep, and with food in her belly she felt even more compelled to nap. It seemed the other dragon wasn't going to come into the water any time soon, and if he did she believed she'd hear him. Just an hour or two, that was all she needed...

* * *

Days passed by slowly. Usually once a day one of their captors appeared, now always beyond the invisible wall, and with a burst of light an animal appeared on their side. Sometimes it was a sheep, other times a pig or deer. Never enough to fully satiate their hunger, but enough to survive well enough.

Azura preferred to stay in the pond, both for safety and comfort. It only took a few hours out of the water for that itch to begin, so she'd rather play it safe and keep access to the pond. To keep up her muscle she did try to walk around the grass several times a day, short little stints when she thought the other dragon was asleep or ignoring her. A few times she even beat her wings, trying to take off like her father had been showing her, but she couldn't get it quite right. Was she not jumping high enough? Beating her wings too fast or too slow? Maybe she needed more height...

The red dragon could fly. He rarely did, and it irritated her, because she wanted to watch how he did it. If she could fly that would be one more advantage she had over the wingless creatures that were keeping her here. Maybe he would show her...

Azura saw he was napping on the far side of their grass, furthest from the pond as possible. She tentatively padded over, stepping precisely and noisly so there was no way he wouldn't hear her coming. The last thing she wanted to do was startle him and send him into a rage.

The young blue dragon stopped a few paces away and chirped softly. A yellow eye opened, unimpressed. She chirped again, hopping in place anxiously, and unfurled her wings. She looked up at the sky, desire clear her in expression, and beat her wings. The fire breathing dragon huffed and rolled over.

Then again, maybe he _wouldn't_ show her.

* * *

Days turned to weeks, and the routine was the same every day. Wake up, bathe, eat whatever animal appeared, fail at flying, go back to sleep. The other dragon's day was the same, except instead of flying practice he opted for an extra nap.

They frequently tested the invisible wall. There was never a weak spot, but they continued anyway. One day there may be, and they wouldn't want to miss it.

At full speed Azura could run the length of her new home in fifty-nine seconds.

Territory. Her new _territory_. She wouldn't think of this place as her home. Home was a seaside cave. Home was her family. This...this was just land she'd temporarily laid claim to. This wasn't going to be her home. She was sure of that.

* * *

More things were here than usual today, she noted absently. There was a large cluster beyond the invisible wall, all looking and pointing at her, squawking in that irritating way they did. She was out of the water this afternoon, sunning herself, a rare thing for her. It was just such a beautiful day... She and the other dragon hadn't butted heads in quite some time, and she was feeling more and more comfortable venturing out of the pond for longer and longer.

She let out a sigh, bored, and rolled onto her back. It was a vulnerable position, but the warmth of the sun was too tempting. Just a few minutes and she'd roll over, hiding her delicate underbelly, but for now she basked in the glow.

A _crack_ nearby startled her and she fell over onto her side, head popping up and looking around. One of _them_ was inside their territory, and before Azura could get to her feet the red dragon was racing toward them, leaping over Azura with a roar. With a _crack_ it was back beside the others, all making loud noises and once again radiating relieved amusement.

* * *

It wasn't until she was falling asleep that night that she realized she'd thought of it as _their_ territory rather than _hers._

* * *

The day after the intrusion into their private space Azura was surprised to find the red dragon sitting before her. He did his very best to ignore her, staying on the opposite side of the field from her whenever possible, venturing over only for a drink of water. Today, though, she awoke from her sunbathing to find him at her side. She hopped up to her feet, a little skittish, but didn't dart away just yet. She chirped tentatively in question.

He got to his feet, huffed, and walked a few paces away. Azura watched him go curiously, wondering what that was all about, before he crouched down, pushed off the ground and sprang into the air. She watched with wide eyes as he circled their very small property, looping a few times before landing in the grass a short distance away from her. At first she thought he was showing off, and even if she wanted to be annoyed, she was also happy for the demonstration.

But then he crouched again. And stayed that way. Looking at her.

Azura tilted her head. Huh?

He huffed again, impatience pouring off him. He stood, paused, then crouched again.

...Oh!

Azura scrambled to her feet, trilling in excitement as she rushed to copy his pose. When he was satisfied with her position, he pushed off into the air, beating his wings in firm, slow motions, hovering in place. Azura eagerly jumped up, wings flapping haphazardly, and crumpled to the ground. The red dragon grunted and landed, shook out his wings, and crouched again.

Azura quickly righted herself, crouched again, and threw herself into the air only to fall right back out of it. The male snorted out a puff of smoke, stood, crouched, and pushed off into the air once again. Azura jumped back to her feet.

This time she'd get it!

...Okay, definitely next time!

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed seeing things from a dragons point of view! This is going somewhere I promise! Next chapter will be Yuuri and Victor hearing what their friends discovered in Sweden. 
> 
> And, uh, yes Azura ate a wizard. But he shouldn't have spooked a hungry dragon, that's all I'm saying...


	14. Home Part 2

It had taken several days for Azura to get her take off consistent. She still sometimes was over eager and jumped the gun, miscalculating and tangling up her wings, tail and limbs, but she was getting the hang of it. Her companion in this strange land wasn't as patient as her father or as gentle as her mother, but he was _trying_ to help her, and that counted for something.

She hoped he wouldn't give up on her. Azura was trying her best, but she'd only just gotten the hang of gliding, and there was nowhere to jump from in this plain. Her mother's plan had been to get her comfortable with gliding off the cliff and progress to flying from there, with the safety of the water below to cushion her falls. Here, her only height was however high she could jump, and that just wasn't how she was prepared to learn!

Progress was slow, but it wasn't like they had anything else to do. Azura spent the majority of her days hurling herself into the air, sometimes managing to get her wings in rhythm and glide a few yards, other times tumbling down to the grass. She was exhausted every night, but each morning went right back to it. If there came a time when flight was a real chance at escape she didn't want to be left behind.

The two-legged creatures seemed to notice her new behavior, several frequently appearing more often to watch her. She tried to ignore them, not needing extra eyes on her when she was already self conscious with Dragon's eyes on her. Sometimes she retreated to her pool, not wanting them to be aware of her preparations for escape, and sometimes she doubled her efforts, hoping they'd realize she was nowhere near defeated.

* * *

After a particularly painful day of falls Azura decided on one more try before she called it quits. Her mind was tired from her intense concentration and her body was sore, and she slowly took the position, let out a breath, and jumped. She beat her wings slow, too tired for the rigorous efforts of earlier, and waited for the familiar crash to the ground that didn't come. After a few seconds she realized she still hadn't fallen, and once it dawned on her she hovering successfully she cried out and fell to the dirt.

The blue dragon sprang to her feet, energized with excitement, and tried again with no luck. She willed herself to relax. She was overthinking it. It had worked when she'd been calm. After a few deep breaths she leaped, beat her wings, and managed to stay airborne for several seconds longer than before.

When she dropped back to the ground she spun in a circle, trilling in delight, then turned toward Dragon. He was napping in his usual spot, and Azura ran over to him, ignoring her usual apprehension and pouncing on his side. He immediately growled, head popping up to see what had attacked him, but Azura was already getting into her crouch. Before he could rumble his displeasure at being so rudely awoken Azura was up in the air, flapping her wings to keep her in the air for as long as she could. As soon as she landed she crouched and popped up again, eager to show off her success.

The red dragon watched, still grumbling a little, but Azura ignored it. She was so close to flying! Now that she understood this, the rest couldn't be that hard, right?

When her wings protested any more use for the night, Azura curled them close to her body and looked at Dragon. He was still watching her, no longer grumbling, and she trilled a happy little tune as her gratefulness bubbled up in her. On impulse, she stepped close and nuzzled against his neck, happy when he didn't growl, even if he didn't return it. She hadn't realized how much she missed contact like that...she used to greet her parents like that all the time. She wondered if Dragon had parents or siblings he was missing. How long had he been separated from them?

She nuzzled against him one more time before heading back to her pond. If he'd been alone even longer than her, maybe they'd both benefit from the contact.

* * *

Over time Azura improved even more, following the other dragon's lead. She wasn't sure if they were friends exactly, but the red dragon seemed to be warming up to her now. With his help she grew stronger and more confident. It took weeks of effort, but soon she was able to fly in short bursts low to the ground, claws skimming the grass, and she would skip on the ground a few paces to regain speed and hop back in the air.

* * *

The first time Azura made it around their entire territory without having to push off the ground halfway through, she trilled in delight and flew right for the other dragon, crashing into him where he sat on his hind legs watching her. He growled in annoyance, all a show, as Azura felt no genuine irritation from him. She all but purred, proud of herself and grateful for his help, rubbing against him like an overgrown cat. He huffed and got to his feet, going to his usual corner now that their daily exercise was done.

This afternoon, Azura trotted along beside him.

She had a few hours before she needed a dip in the pool, so why not? In the months they'd been here now she'd only explored this corner a handful of times. The red dragon didn't seem to notice her at first, but when he plopped down in the grass and looked around, she was right there looking back. He rumbled his usual warning tone, but by now she knew he was mostly all bark and no bite. Unconcerned, she responded with a peppy rumble of her own and continued on, trekking about his chosen piece of their land.

It didn't take long for her to get bored and wander back to his side. He'd laid down, apparently fully willing to ignore her encroaching on his space. Azura decided to take the half hearted dismissal as an invite, and settled in the grass beside him. Without opening his eyes he huffed, and she echoed it back, making herself comfortable and quickly dozing off.

* * *

Azura sneezed. Was it her imagination, or was it getting a little chillier?

* * *

Azura wasn't fond of her living situation for a variety of reasons. She normally focused on the fact she was separated from her family, followed by she was never fed enough to feel full. The fact their plains offered no shelter from the rain was annoying, but summer rain didn't particularly bother her. She felt bad for Dragon though, he hated when it rained.

It wasn't until the nights, and then days too, began to get colder that she realized they had a serious problem. They had both assumed it was a spree of bad weather, but it soon became clear this was not clearing up any time soon. The rain was so cold...poor Dragon was miserable, and Azura wasn't liking it any more than he was. She missed her tropical home desperately.

Azura had taken to staying almost full time in the pond. If she breathed her steam consistently she could heat the small pool of water enough to be somewhat comfortable. She slept poorly, waking any time the water cooled, but it was better than sleeping on the cold ground.

On one particularly dreary night, she awoke shivering in her pond. She was certain she'd never experienced a penetrating cold like this, nor had she ever seen the ground turn white. Were her eyes playing tricks on her? She spent a few minutes heating her water back to an acceptable temperature before looking around for Dragon. Had he noticed the bizarre whiteness on the grass? She scanned the area, not seeing his red scales, and frowned in confusion. She looked around again, slower, and jolted when she realized there was a large white lump where he normally slept.

Crying out in alarm, Azura sprang to her feet and ran over, noticing the white stuff on the grass was cold and wet, utterly unpleasant after the warm water of her pond. She reached the other dragons side, noting with a panic that the white was all over him, and his only movement she could see was violent shivering. She immediately breathed her hot steam on him, the white melting away instantly, and she set to work removing it from his entire body. His eyes slowly opened, what she took to be a good sign, but he was still shaking from the cold.

She frantically circled him, trying to warm him up, but she couldn't keep all of him warm at once. Azura cried out in frustration, wondering what she was supposed to do. Had he been dealing with the cold like this all this time while Azura bathed in her pond?

She perked up. Of course, the pond! She nudged him hard, and he grunted in response. Azura continued, badgering him to get to his feet. Despite his protests, he eventually stood, still trembling. She herded him back toward the pond, and when he realized where she was taking him he sat down, determined not to budge. Azura barked and pleaded, headbutting him relentlessly to keep moving. Reluctantly he rose to take the last few steps to the water, grumbling as he stepped into it, even as his eyes light up in relief. Azura cooed encouragingly, wading in beside him, and sank down low in the water, breathing more steam in it to heat it up some more. The other dragon was uncharacteristically quiet, soaking in the warmth, and when Azura had it nice and toasty she waded to his side, pressing close, willing to share body heat as well. To her surprise he accepted without protest, curling around her, and she was happy to feel his shivering was slowly letting up.

* * *

Yuuri listened with rapt attention as Chris and Masumi explained what they’d found in Sweden, starting with their accidental encounter with Pru and the other Peruvian Vipertooths.

“…and after she just hexed him mid flight, Chris insists we follow this odd witch through a secret opening in the mountainside…”

“Aren’t you glad I did, cheri?” Chris asked. “We wouldn’t have found the Alhberg’s if we hadn’t.”

“That’s not the point,” Masumi sighed. “My point is that was incredibly risky, considering we didn’t know the first thing about her, and she just attacked us with poisonous dragons.”

“Anyway,” Chris continued loudly. “The mountain is hollow, and inside is where the family and dragons live. The call it a zoo here, but it’s essentially the same as our sanctuary in a lot of ways. Also very different in some ways too…”

Yuuri was immensely curious. “Like what?” he asked, desperate for more information and wishing Victor would come home early to hear it too.

Masumi and Chris shared another look, Yuuri feeling a little agitated to be left out of the loop but trying to be patient and let them explain. “Start with the habitats,” Masumi suggested, and Chris nodded.

“Rather than one open area, each breed of dragon has their own cave,” Chris began, going into a detailed explanation of the separate areas for the dragons and how they come and go from the mountain at will. Yuuri’s mind whirled, too many thoughts and questions flitting about to even get one out. Should he let his dragons out more often? That wasn’t really feasible in Hasetsu… Was it reckless to let them all interact with minimal supervision? Though they only had the odd scuffle…

It was with great relief he heard Victor Apparate into the other room. “Vitya!” he called. He heard footsteps approach.

“Hello my Yuuri!” he sang as he slid the paper door open. His eyes widened when he saw the mirror. “Chris!” he beamed.

“Hi Victor,” chimed Chris and Masumi together. Victor hurried over and sat beside Yuuri, cuddling close to see the small mirror better and not because he desperately missed his boyfriend after only a few hours at school.

“Vitya,” Yuuri began as they got settled. “Chris and Masumi have a lot to tell you about.” They recapped it once again for him, Yuuri promising to give more details later, too eager to move on to what he hadn’t heard.

Victor’s eyes were wide as saucers. “The dragons are isolated?” he asked. He looked to Yuuri. “Isn’t half their rehabilitation learning how to socialize?”

Yuuri shrugged, suddenly questioning everything they’d done. His anxiety spiked as he worried they’d been going about this all wrong the whole time. “It seemed to help,” he said quietly. “Brought their spirits up… Moonstruck wouldn’t even be flying if not for Opal…” 

“It’s different,” Chris agreed, seeing the doubt in Yuuri’s expression. “But that doesn’t mean their way is better. Personally I think the dragons in Hasetsu are much happier.”

“Really?” asked Yuuri, not sounding convinced but looking hopeful.

“Absolutely,” Chris nodded.

Masumi nudged him. “That may have a lot to do with the difference in the condition of the dragons, cheri.”

"Ah,” Chris frowned.

Victor sat forward. “What do you mean by difference in condition?” he asked.

“Well…” he hedged. “We were very excited to find the zoo. It was such a relief to know there is another safe haven for dragons in the world, and gives me hope that there may be more out there.”

"…But?” asked Yuuri.

“But along with that good news came a very disheartening realization.” As Yuuri and Victor looked increasingly worried, Chris began to lose his nerve. “Masumi, you can explain it better,” he said, passing the job off to his boyfriend.

“Chris told me a lot about your sanctuary,” he began. “The dragons are a little bruised and malnourished when you rescue them from breeders or traders. What we’ve come to understand is there is a big difference in the health of the dragons between those you see that are about to be sold, and the ones that are being replaced and abandoned.”

Yuuri worried his lip. He hated seeing dragons unhappy and hurt, and was always so pained when they had a dragon with scars or a tear in their wing. Many were thinner than they should be, but nowhere near skeletal, which is what he was picturing now.

“The dragons that the Ahlbergs are finding, if they are alive,” at that both Victor and Yuuri grimaced, “are in very bad shape. Broken wings, clipped wings, blinded…”

Chris added, “Dragons that thrive in warm, tropical locations are just left in the mountains to fend for themselves in the winter time. Those they don’t find in time often freeze from the ice and snow.”

Yuuri squeezed his eyes shut, burying his face into Victor’s shoulder as if he could hide from such a thought. He felt Victor wrap an arm around his waist.

“That’s terrible,” Victor said. “The dragons we find aren’t perfect, but they’re nowhere near…” he trailed off, lost in thought.

“The ones you’re finding are the best looking ones, the ones they can sell for the most. Famela and her family are finding the ones collectors have become tired of and discard.”

“As if they weren’t living, breathing creatures,” Yuuri murmured into Victor’s shirt. “They act as if they’re a toy they can exchange for the newest model.”

“Shh,” Victor cooed, reaching to press a kiss to Yuuri’s hair. “At least the Ahlberg’s are helping them. We can be thankful for that.”

Yuuri raised his head suddenly, eyes sparking. “I want to go,” he said. “I want to meet them. I need to see these dragons.”

“Yuuri, we have school,” Victor reminded him gently. “We can’t leave in the middle of term.”

“I need to help them, Vitya. Imagine if Moonstruck had been left for dead that way. Or Makkachin.”

Victor squeezed Yuuri again. “I know, my Yuuri. But we have our own dragons here we need to tend to in the sanctuary, plus the girls, and school, and I am so far behind on my potions…”

Yuuri wanted to snap screw the potions, but he knew he didn’t really mean it. He understood they had obligations here, but that didn’t mean he didn’t want to drop it all and run to these poor dragons.

“Why don’t we go over Christmas break?” suggested Victor.

Yuuri glanced up at him. “But we’re going to your parents for Christmas,” he pointed out. “Plus Yakov, Nicolai and Yuri are coming to visit too.”

“We can make it work,” Victor assured him. “It’ll be a hectic break, but we can fit it all in.” He looked back to the mirror. “That’s assuming we’re even invited to visit this zoo.”

“I’ll talk to Famela,” Chris said. “She’s very interested in meeting you two and seeing the sanctuary.”

Yuuri bristled. He was just getting used to the idea of showing friends the sanctuary. “I don’t know about that.” He may be a bit hypocritical, wanting to see another's dragon zoo while not being willing to share his… Not yet anyway. “I’d like to meet her and see hers first, if that’s okay.”

“I’ll talk to her,” Chris repeated. “I’m sure we can work something out.”

Yuuri nodded. “Thanks. And thank you for telling us this. Even if it was hard to hear… What you said at first is right. It is nice to know there’s another family out there protecting dragons.”

Chris smiled lightly as he nodded. “They’re a good family,” he said. “A little quirky, but…their hearts are definitely in the right place.” After a moment he asked, “Can I tell them more about the sanctuary?”

“Yes,” Yuuri agreed. “Don’t give away where it is, but…yes. Answer what you can.”

“Write down any question you can’t answer,” Victor suggested. “We can send them an owl later. See if they’d be willing to do the same for us. I’m sure once this really settles in Yuuri and I will have a million questions.” They were both too shocked to think of technical questions right now.

“I will,” Chris said.

“Thank you Chris,” Yuuri said. “And you, Masumi. I wish Vitya and I could have come with you.”

Masumi smiled. “Happy to help. Now, we should get going. The Ahlberg’s have a lot more to show us.”

“Okay,” Yuuri nodded, and they said their goodbyes. When the mirror was blank, he looked to Victor beside him. “Wow,” he sighed.

Victor hummed in agreement. “Another sanctuary.”

“Mhmm. And those poor dragons…” It made him sick to his stomach to think of it. “Vitya?”

“Yes, My Yuuri?”

"Would you mind…if I had some time alone? To think about all this?”

Victor let out a light breath. “Of course not,” he said. “Take all the time you need. I’ll go to my workroom.”

“I’m…going to go for a walk,” he decided, pulling out of Victor’s embrace and getting to his feet.

"Do you want to take the triplets?” Victor suggested, hoping they would cheer Yuuri up.

“…No. I think I just need a moment to myself.” He headed for the door, sensing that Victor was worried about him and trying not to show it. “I’ll be back in time for dinner.”

“Okay,” Victor said, standing himself. “I have my mirror on me if you need me.”

* * *

The arrival of spring meant Azura and the red dragon traded snowy grass for muddy puddles, a trade both would make anytime.

After months spent cooped up next to each other it was hard to break the habit, and while her dragon no longer desperately sought ought Azura’s warmth, he was now seen constantly by her side. With the warmer weather came the inclination to leave their burrow more, and Azura immediately wanted to resume her flying practice.

Thankful for muscle memory, she picked up where they’d left off easily, quickly advancing to loops and spins. Her dragon was surprisingly agile when he wanted to be, showing off with daring dives and intricate rolls, debuting his first and only attempt at a courting dance. Azura was immensely impressed, not a thought in the world spared for wondering what kind of elusive deep sea creature a male of her kind would present her if she were back home. No, flying was much more exciting than any silly fish, no matter how delicious, and she’d never seen anyone soar like Dragon.

And yet, as impressive as his performance had been, Azura thought it entirely unnecessary as she breathed her steam over two purple eggs. He hadn’t needed to win her over with fancy tricks, her decision had been made one wintry night curled up together in their burrow, but she appreciated the gesture all the same.

Azura had panicked when the first egg came, doubly so when there was a second. She had no cave, no rocks, no little pond to heat them as she’d seen her mother do for her brother. She was hardly able to care for her brother, never mind her own hatchlings! She’d stayed up the whole first night constantly steaming the eggs, worried the spring air, while an improvement over winter, was still too cold for them. In the morning, exhausted and feeling overwhelmed, Azura wondered how she could keep this up for weeks on end.

Only hunger was able to lure her away from the eggs, leaving the safety of the burrow to peek out at the grassy plain, wondering if her mate had caught whatever appeared today, and if he’d bring it to her so she wouldn’t have to wander far from…well it wasn’t really a nest, but she’d done the best she could. To her surprise her red dragon wasn’t chasing the two deer who were munching on grass beside the pond, utterly unaware of the danger they were in. Instead, he was off in his old corner, appearing to be digging and fussing with the ground.

Now both hungry and curious, she glanced around to make sure none of those two-legged things were nearby before quickly walking over to see what had him so enthralled. Peeking around him, she saw he’d dug a hole into the dirt which was now filled with roots and limbs from the few bushes their territory housed. Pride was bubbling off him more than she’d ever sensed, and the excitement was contagious, even if she wasn’t sure what he was so pleased with. She trilled, and he whipped around, grumbling in response before nuzzling against her and walking back to the burrow. Hungry, curious, and now confused, Azura trailed after him.

She watched him go down into the burrow, and a moment later he reappeared with one of the eggs carefully held in his jaws. She barked in concern, wary about moving them, but he huffed a reassurance and gingerly padded back over to his firepit. He set the egg down on the grass and then lit the dry branches and roots on fire. Once the flames died down and only embers remained, he set the egg on top, followed by a few more branches which caught fire and sizzled to life before also turning to smolders. He sat back, satisfied, and looked at his mate proudly. An egg warmer that didn’t require constant attention!

Delighted, Azura hurried to retrieve the second egg, placing it next to the first before her mate set about covering it with branches too. She settled in the grass beside the nest – how thrilling to have a proper, if unconventional, nest! – and let out a sigh of relief. She cooed at her red dragon, wanting him to join her, but now that the eggs were taken care of he had a mate to feed. He made quick work of catching the two deer and dragging them over, and they munched happily as they looked over their two eggs, finally feeling like maybe this new life wouldn’t be too bad.

* * *

Yuuri strolled aimlessly, finding himself at the beach. He padded across the sand as he contemplated everything Chris and Masumi had told them. It was hard to tell what he was feeling – excitement at the thought of another dragon haven, anxiety over whose approach is best, and despair over how dragons are being treated. It’s not like they didn’t know dragons weren’t always treated carefully, but it was easy to forget when surrounded with happy, healthy dragons day after day.

After some time he found his feet had brought him to the field behind the inn. It was empty, the November air starting to get a little chilly for the tropical couple, and he expected to find Azura and Verndari either in their cave with the fireplace roaring or down in the nursery. He ventured in, happy to see both were there along with Vicchan.

Yuuri slowly approached, not quite sure what brought him here, but feeling like he’d been compelled to come visit his original dragons. He didn’t think about it much anymore, but Azura and Verndari had been very nearly killed that night in New Mexico. If Yuuri hadn’t found them when he did, both would have perished and Vicchan would have been whisked away to the highest bidder. After so many years with them in his life, he couldn’t imagine a world without them. They were so full of life, with starkly different personalities and interests, it was just impossible for him to understand how people could view them simply as something to buy and cage up to admire on occasion.

Azura chirped quietly, pulling Yuuri from his thoughts. The three dragons were all looking at him, Vicchan curious, Verndari unreadable, and Azura’s expression one of concern. Yuuri hadn’t realized he was crying until he wondered why his face felt wet. He wiped his cheeks on his shirt, feeling his throat tighten up as his bottled up emotions finally threatened to overflow. Azura leaned forward to gently nuzzle against him, cooing softly, and at that Yuuri lost it, throwing his arms around her neck as he began to sob.

His heart ached for all the dragons out there, the wild ones at risk of being caught and those in captivity. For the dragons who were supposedly protected in the ministry approved zones. Despite his efforts to push them away, memories of Azura nearly bleeding out surfaced, along with an image of a desperate Verndari fighting to protect his mate and child. The innocent confusion of Vicchan, newly hatched, running between his parents and wondering why they weren’t rising to play with him when the poachers were gone.

Azura rumbled gently, flicking her tail at her mate, who then also rumbled in his best attempt at a nurturing sound. Yuuri hiccoughed, not too sad to notice Verndari’s unusual behavior. He unwrapped one arm from Azura’s neck and tentatively reached a hand out toward the red dragon. Verndari leaned forward enough for his snout to press against Yuuri’s hand, huffing out a pleasantly warm breath before reclining against the cave wall again. Yuuri couldn’t remember the last time he touched Verndari. He didn’t think he had since that first day, to be honest.

He felt a nudge against his side, Vicchan nosing at him, wanting to be included even if he didn’t understand what was going on. Yuuri gave him a watery smile and turned his back to Azura, sliding down to sit and lean against her scales, Vicchan resting his large head in Yuuri’s lap and emitting a sound almost like a purr.

He wasn’t sure how long he sat there, eyes closed as he pet Vicchan like he was a hatchling again, the adults quietly resting beside him. He must have dozed off, for one moment everything was quiet and peaceful, and the next he had an armful of Oplaeye. “H-Hisa-!” he gasped, trying to get a grip on her as she wiggled, stepping all over Vicchan’s head in her eagerness to lick at his salty cheeks. “What – get down!”

“Woops!” came Victor’s voice, and Yuuri turned to see him at the mouth of the cave, Ai heavy in his arms and Kou straining on her leash to follow her sister.

Once he finally got her to calm down, Yuuri encouraged her to sit in front of him rather than on top of Vicchan. Victor joined him, settling down on the side opposite of Vicchan, Ai still in his arms while Kou scrambled up Vicchan’s side to perch on his back.

Yuuri reached over to scratch under Ai’s chin. “What are you all doing here?” he asked.

“You missed dinner,” said Victor. “We were worried about you.”

“I must have fallen asleep…”

Victor leaned against him, heads bumping gently together. “Are you alright?”

“I’m okay,” Yuuri said quietly. “It was just…so much…and I…” he trailed off, eyes going to the two little Opaleye before him. “I keep thinking…What if I hadn’t been able to get them away from Tausch? Or if Antonin had cracked the eggs when he stole them… They would have been separated and sold, and ended up like Verndari and Azura, completely disposable to these people.”

“But you did get them away, and they are perfectly happy and healthy. Just like Verndari, Vicchan and Azura. Because of you. And by the new year we may have over fifty dragons running around here when all the eggs in the nursery hatch, and that’s because of you.”

“Fifty out of the hundreds out there.”

“Darling,” Victor said sternly, tilting Yuuri’s chin up to look him in the eye. “Fifty is a helluva lot better than zero. Don’t you think?”

“Yes,” Yuuri agreed. He hiccoughed again, wiping at his cheeks even though the tears had long since dried. “…That’s the first time you’ve called me darling.”

“And it won’t be the last,” Victor said matter of factly, pressing a kiss to Yuuri’s forehead. He didn’t mention that while Yuuri had been on his walk, Victor himself had broken down and hugged Makka close, thankful he had her and her sisters, the sanctuary, the Katsuki’s in his life now. He was so, so very thankful for Yuuri, and all the changes that came with him. The man Victor was a year ago could never have predicted what life had in store for him. Beyond having his lifelong dream of seeing dragons come true, he found a love greater than anything he could have dreamed of.

“Okay,” Yuuri said softly with a smile. “…Just not in front of Mari, or she’ll never stop teasing me.”

“Oh I’m definitely saying it in front of Mari,” Victor grinned. Yuuri punched him lightly, and Victor laughed, delighted to see him smiling again. “Love you,” he sang, darting in to peck Yuuri’s lips.

Yuuri huffed out a laugh and laid his head against Victor’s shoulder. “Love you too. All of you,” he added, patting Hisa’s head before settling back against Azura’s warm scales and enjoying having them all together.

* * *

Azura and Dragon took turns standing guard over the eggs, allowing the other to stretch their legs and wings now and then or bathe in the pond. Azura bounced between elated and terrified, and was so very thankful to have Dragon with her, a constant source of comfort. 

After many weeks of watching and waiting, the first cracks began to show. Azura trilled in delight and refused to move from the egg's side, eager for the two to hatch. Would they take after her, with her beautiful blue scales and love of water, or would they be a striking red color and spend their days lounging in the sun? Maybe a good mix of both! 

She would unfortunately never know. 

The following morning the dragons awoke feeling unusually groggy and like they had slept deeper and longer than normal. Azura's first instinct when she got her thoughts together was to look to the smoldering nest, horrified to see it empty. 

She shrieked and jumped to her feet, Dragon startling awake and rising too. Frantic, they both looked about the ground, wondering if the eggs had shook enough to roll out of the nest, but they didn't see them nearby. They spread out, sniffing the ground and scanning around, walking over every inch of their territory. Perhaps they had hatched and wandered into the burrow? But to their dismay they found neither eggs nor hatchlings, though they continued to check and recheck well into the afternoon. 

Dragon, naturally on the quiet side, was somehow even more stoic than usual. He retreated to the burrow, curling up and sleeping the day away to avoid the pain of facing reality. Azura laid listlessly beside the empty nest, hoping eventually she would blink and they would appear, this all a bad dream. 

When days passed and nothing changed, they had to accept that the eggs were gone. They couldn't be sure, but both assumed their two-legged captors had something to do with it. It took a while to get back to their usual routine, but with time they were able to get back to something resembling normalcy. Summer and fall passed quickly, both enjoying it and dreading the winter. While Dragon loved being wrapped up close to his mate, he just couldn't stand the snow. 

The following spring brought another purple egg. Azura was determined not to let anything sneak up on her and snatch this one away. Rather than their open fire pit from before, they dug a hole in the burrow this year. It was smoky and a little unpleasant to breathe, but with only one way in and out they felt more confident they could protect their nest. 

As they suspected, once the egg was laid the two-legged things were appearing more often. Dragon charged them whenever they set foot on their territory, Azura never leaving the entrance of the burrow, working together to fend off these thieves. All seemed to be going well, before one night they went to sleep in the burrow, curling around the nest, and both woke up the next morning outside on the grass. 

Azura bolted back down into the burrow before she'd even fully opened her eyes, skidding to a halt when she reached the empty nest. She blinked quickly, hoping her vision was just still blurred from sleep, but when she looked again the nest remained eggless. With a pained cry she dropped to the floor, whimpering, and she soon felt her mate approach and lay beside her. Dragon rumbled a comforting sound, radiating the same devastated aura though he did his best to send her reassurance. Once Azura was asleep he rose and circled their territory, hoping to find a lost hatchling crying for help but not honestly expecting it. He wasn't surprised he found nothing. 

The following spring, when Azura lay crying, Dragon didn't even bother to look, choosing to stay beside her and nuzzle her neck, rumbling softly. 

Their fourth winter together Azura refused any advances from her mate, grateful they were few and far between. She just couldn't face another loss. They tried everything to keep their eggs safe, and year and year they were whisked away from right under their noses. Dragon seemed to sense she didn't have another try in her, and respectfully didn't push her. 

When spring came, the two-legged creatures began circling their territory again. Azura knew they were trying to figure out where the nest was hidden this year. Let them look, they would just be wasting their time. 

As the weeks passed, the creatures were radiating stronger emotions of annoyance and impatience. They were disappointed with the dragons, angry with the dragons, fed up with the dragons. Azura didn't really care, just as angry and fed up herself. 

Toward the end of spring it was undeniably clear that there was no egg for them to steal. The creatures raged, but no amount of strikes of light against her scales would make her lay an egg and they all knew it. 

Eventually the two of them were left alone. Azura was relieved, unsure if she could endure daily taunts from their captors much longer. While disappointed with no hatchling, it was a relief not to have another year of loss. 

Summer arrived, a little hot for her liking but her mate was loving it, and the two were laying side by side by the pond. It was a day like any other until a group of creatures suddenly appeared, lights flying at her and Dragon. They ricocheted off her scales for the most part, but eventually one cut through to her flesh, and she howled in pain. Dragon roared and doubled his efforts, hot flames bursting through their invisible shield and charring one of the beasts. 

Suddenly ropes were around their snouts, binding their mouths closed and preventing them from using their abilities to defend themselves. They still had their claws, but the creatures knew to keep their distance. Azura whipped her tail and flung one of them across the grass and into the pond, but then ropes appeared around her tail as well, making it much harder to attack with. 

They struggled against the restraints, feeling more scales crack and chip and feeling bursts of lights hitting their skin. That familiar sensation of drowsiness she'd felt back in her old cave returned, and she panicked and thrashed until it was too much to fight, body going limp and eyes closing. The ground trembled, and she knew without looking that her mate had fallen too. 

* * *

  
When she awoke she was unable to move. Her snout was tied shut and she felt ropes over her back. She tried to stand but couldn't, ropes tied to stakes in the ground. She couldn't even lift her neck, ropes stretched over that too, along with her tail. 

She strained to look around, and saw with despair her mate much in the same state several yards away. He was clearly trying to thrash about, pulling at the ropes and struggling to stand, three creatures standing near him and reinforcing any bond he managed to break. Azura tried to do the same, but the minute she did she felt a pang in her side, and she was growing sleepy again. 

It was hot. Too hot. They definitely weren't on their grassy plain. 

The creatures were squawking and shouting, annoying even to her drowsy senses. What was happening, she wondered. Were they being taken to a new home? 

Not home, she corrected. That was never a home. 

* * *

  
The day wore on, hot sun beating down on her, and she felt her scales grow dry and itchy. She was hungry and thirsty, tired and sore, and though it had been hours she could hear her mate growl now and then, still attempting to break free. 

She wasn't sure how he had the strength or motivation anymore. 

Soon the sun was setting, and though the temperature dropped she was still uncomfortably dry, more so than she'd ever been in her life. The slightest move made her skin crack and bleed. She wished they would take them wherever they were going. Surely they didn't expect them to live here? She would be dead in less than a week in heat like this...though maybe that was just as well. 

A high pitched cry brought her immediately to attention. Was that-? Yes, there it was again! Another chirp, followed by an excited little trill. 

Azura struggled to sit up, unable to move much. She grunted back, unable to make much noise with her snout tied, but she still received a delighted bark in response. 

There was no doubt about it, there was a hatchling nearby. Suddenly she didn't feel so tired, pushing through the fog and doubling her efforts, shaking her head until the spikes pulled free from the dried earth. She could hear her mate roar, felt the ground tremble as he stomped, and knew he had freed himself. Azura whipped her tail, again and again until it too was free, swiping away a creature that tried to get too close. 

Once on her feet, she looked wildly around. Her mate was fighting with four of them, light reflecting off his scales while he bit and clawed and breathed his flames. Satisfied he was safe, she continued to peer around, listening for the chirps and trying to figure out where they were coming from. Soon she saw a crate tremble, and she knew the cries were coming from within. 

Her only goal became reaching that crate. She felt the bright lights strike her, knew her scales were damaged and skin was bleeding, but she pushed on. Every time she wounded one of these things they cried out and disappeared, and soon there were only two left. 

Azura collapsed to the dusty desert ground with a pained cry, one too many shots hitting their mark. The little one in the crate was crying again, and though she desperately wanted to reach it, she found it hard just to get a deep breath. Her scales were wet with blood, and she was so thirsty....

* * *

  
She faded in and out of consciousness, aware there were suddenly more two-legged creatures and she feared the worst, before sensing the presence of another dragon. Relief swept through her. If she couldn't save the little one, perhaps this other dragon could. 

* * *

  
Azura's heart burst with joy at the sight of the little brown hatchling. It ran right for her, chirping and hopping happily, nuzzling against her. She closed her eyes, overwhelmed, before doing her best to nuzzle back in return. She watched him run to her mate, who Azura hoped was in better condition than her. Her scales were wet with blood, breathing labored, and she had no illusions of what this meant. She could at least be grateful to see her hatchling, and hoped her mate could get it somewhere safe. 

* * *

  
She opened her eyes again to see one of them standing beside her. She was too tired to be fearful, simply trying to breath steam at him but not managing anything but a warm breath. Strange, she felt the presence of a dragon now, but all she could see was this scale less, wingless thing. It spoke softly, unlike others of its kind, and touched her gently. To her surprise, she felt sympathy flooding off this dark haired creature in waves. Sympathy for her? It was sad, and pained, and all because of her? 

It held up one of the sticks her captors always had, used for shooting the bright lights at her, but instead of painful jabs like she normally experienced, she felt her pain slowly dissipating. Her wounds closed, and on them dripped a soothing liquid. This creature was helping her, gently cleaning her dirty scales and making soft, comforting sounds. 

Her hatchling returned from her mate, nudging up against the two-legged creature. She felt a little alarm, but watched as it carefully patted her hatchling on the head. The little brown dragon climbed on top of it, chirping in delight, and amused, adoring emotions radiated off the creature. Azura still couldn't get over the fact she sensed a dragon before her, confused and exhausted, but if her hatchling also felt no ill will from this stranger, perhaps it wasn't an enemy. 

She watched as her hatchling lead it to her mate, a few of the other creatures following after. It was a little unnerving being outnumbered in her weakened state, but they seemed to be following the main one's lead, and she watched as they hosed down her mate and healed his wounds too. 

* * *

  
Azura awoke in a field, no mate or hatchling in sight. Feeling utterly devastated and betrayed, she roared and sent a burst of steam toward the trees, leaves disintegrating instantly. She raced around the field, finding more invisible barriers, and she raged at being tricked yet again. 

* * *

  
The next time she awoke, her mate and hatchling were beside her. She quickly nuzzled them, pulling her hatchling to her side with her tail and leaning down to thoroughly inspect him for injuries. Relief rolled off her, remembering how scared she'd been to believe them both gone. 

The dark haired creature was here too, apparently, and it approached carefully, smelling of meat. Azura's stomach grumbled, but she wasn't going to fall for any more tricks. She pulled her hatchling closer to her side and looked warily at the stranger. It was speaking softly again, and she sensed it was apologetic and apprehensive. She couldn't blame it being skittish, with how riled up her mate was beside her. He hadn't forgotten how this creature's friend had disappeared with their hatchling right before his eyes. 

It tossed meat to them, and maybe they would have refused if they weren't starving, but seeing as she couldn't remember the last time she ate, she wolfed it down. To her amazement, it kept it up until all three felt full. She couldn't remember when she last felt full. 

The bribe of food having worked pretty well, they allowed the creature to approach. It was making soft noises again, repeating "Azura" often while looking at her, "Verndari" when looking at her mate, and "Victor" with her hatchling. It would take a few weeks, but they would eventually begin to respond to those sounds. 

* * *

  
Several months later, what she now recognized as a Yuuri presented them with a huge landscape, grass and desert and trees galore, with a large lake in the center. Azura hadn't swam in years, and flew for the water as fast as she could, diving in with a happy cry. 

* * *

  
Yuuri and his family were unlike any creatures she'd met thus far, but she was relieved she didn't have to fear them. They were gentle with her hatchling, provided them all treats between their hunting of sheep, and never acted aggressive toward any of them. She felt she could actually communicate rather well with Yuuri, and still sniffed him now and then, even after months of investigating this. He just smelled like a dragon. 

And then one day...he was one. 

Before her eyes she watched as Yuuri twisted and turned and grew rapidly. In his place was a large blue dragon. Verndari bared his teeth, instantly on alert, but Azura barked at him to back off. She approached slowly, curious, sniffing him and circling him. He definitely looked and smelled like a dragon, and the aura of her kind radiated even more off him than normal. 

Perhaps he had been captured too? Maybe those things had done something to him to cause him to lose his scales? His wings? But he had them now! How wonderful! 

Vicchan eagerly ran forward, wanting to play, and the blue dragon was clumsy in its movements. 

Azura quickly realized the poor dragon couldn't fly, and set about teaching him all Verndari had taught her. It was pitiful at hunting too. And it wasn't very graceful swimming. She could fix that! And it didn't have very good aim with its steam, either... The poor thing must have been in captivity during its first few years of life, no dragon to learn from. That wasn't a problem, Azura was happy to adopt another dragon, even one as old as Yuuri was. 

* * *

  
Present Day 

Azura looked up in alarm when Yuuri shuffled in radiating sorrow. He walked over slowly as if in a daze, and she chirped a greeting to get his attention. His eyes met hers, and she couldn't remember seeing him ever look so sad. She cooed softly, reaching out to nuzzle against him, and he let out a cry and threw his arms around her neck. 

She hadn't the faintest idea what had happened, but clearly something was bothering their second son. She flicked her tail at her mate, rumbling a quiet _do something_ at him, and he leaned forward to also give a comforting nuzzle and little breath of warm air. He wasn't the most expressive with anyone but her, so she would consider that as good as she ought to expect from him. 

Yuuri soon slid down to sit before her, Vicchan resting his head in his lap, and the four of them sat in a comfortable silence. Before long they were all asleep, only waking up when Hisa pounced on Yuuri. 

They all were startled awake, and Azura was happy to see Yuuri's mate and hatchlings enter the cave. They had been a little concerned by his choice at first, not sensing this Victor to be a dragon in any way like Yuuri. But, somehow, here were four hatchlings, so it all worked out in the end. They looked nothing like Yuuri and his mate, but then Vicchan looked nothing like them, so who were they to judge? 

She felt Yuuri's mood lift as Victor sat beside him, four Opaleye clambering to join, and rumbled happily. Whatever had upset Yuuri, she was sure his mate would fix it, just like Verndari did everything he could to provide her a happy life. 

She settled back down, content to drift off to sleep to the sounds of Yuuri and Victor talking softly. This wasn't the life she'd imagined back in her seaside cave, but despite the rocky start, she felt she couldn't be happier than she was now, her family around her in her forever home. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm sure you could figure out with context clues what was going on, but if anyone wants their suspicions confirmed: Azura and Verndari were held by breeders wanting to sell their eggs. Once they stopped producing eggs, they weren't able to tell which dragon suddenly was the problem, so they wanted to get rid of both. They sold them to traders who took them to the USA along with one other egg from a different dragon pair. It 100% does not matter to Azura that she didn't lay the egg, as soon as Vicchan chirped for help she was in full mama mode.


	15. The First Quidditch Match - Shunrai vs. Toppuu

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Victor referees the first Quidditch match of the season.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I guess I still haven't gotten back into a regular schedule. Hang in there with me, guys, I'll get back to weekly chapters eventually. Enjoy! 
> 
> If you haven't read the last chapter over on the Bonus Scenes, you might want to read that first. (Pink egg occupant is in this chapter)

The arrival of November brought the first Quidditch match of the season. Scheduled for the first Saturday of the month, Victor was eagerly awaiting its arrival. The last week had been a rollercoaster of emotion for them, beginning with a lovely Halloween evening and ending with the stressful news of the zoo. While they were thrilled another family was working to help dragons like they were, it was a harsh reality check as well, and reignited a sense of urgency in them.

The Quidditch match was definitely a very welcome source of excitement, and Victor was spending an extra evening with each House that was playing this weekend, fine tuning some of the strategies they’d gone over so far. How they played at Mahoutokoro was so different from Durmstrang, and Victor was having a ball combining the two into a whole new world of spins and plays. The spectators wouldn’t know what hit them.

* * *

Victor laid on his back on his bed, little pink dragon held over him, hind feet and tail dangling. It had been several days since the pink egg hatched and they were nowhere closer to settling on a name than the moment he’d hatched. “Are you really only one week old?” he asked. “You’ve gotten so big already!” Yuuri hummed in agreement from where he was sitting beside Victor, propped up against the headboard reading a book on Chinese dragons to see if it had any tips for their newest hatchling. The little pink dragon wiggled happily in Victor’s hold, turning his head to try and nip at Victor’s hands. “You trying to eat me again?” he asked. “You just had dinner, little piggy.”

“He’s growing,” Yuuri said, not looking up as he reached to pat the dragon on the head. His incoming fingers received a little bite. “Ouch!” he yelped, more startled than hurt, and pulled his hand back quickly.

“Now now, Piggy, you can’t eat my Yuuri,” Victor laughed, sitting up to cradle him while he got to his feet. “Let’s go to the kitchen for a little snack.”

“Don’t call him Piggy,” Yuuri called after them. “You’ll give him a complex!”

From around the corner Victor’s voice floated, “He doesn’t speak English!”

* * *

After numerous instances of Yuuri protesting Victor calling the pink little dragon Piggy, even in jest, Victor dropped the ‘p’ and switched to ‘iggy’. The days flew by, Yuuri worrying about the fact he had an unnamed hatchling between classes and preparations for the arrival of three Russians next month _and_ the fact he would be meeting Victor’s parents in a matter of weeks.

And then one day, the pressure to produce the perfect name simply disappeared.

Down in the sanctuary, Hiroko was taking half the current hatchlings on a little field trip out of the nursery to explore a carefully sectioned off portion of the desert. She’d conjured several little pools of water in case some grew thirsty or overheated. She’d asked Yuuri to tag along in case she couldn’t handle a dozen on her own.

“Dara, you show them how it’s done,” she was saying, watching the little hatchling burrow into the sand for a good nap in the sun. The Arabian Crested Veil followed suit, plopping down beside her, along with a few others fond of basking in the heat.

The rest had playtime on their minds, and romped through the sand and tried to climb cacti, learning the hard way they were prickly. “Zeke, don’t play too rough with Kai now! Oh, Yuuri, catch Terra before she falls!” The two chased after the little ones for over an hour, wrangling them all into some form of order eventually.

“Oh, no, Iggi, don’t eat that,” Hiroko said, pulling a flailing lizard from the dragons mouth. “How did you even get that?” she wondered, setting the lizard on the ground so it could dart away. She looked over to see her son staring at her with an odd expression. “Yuuri?” she asked.

“Did you say Iggi?” he asked, having not realized until this moment that apparently not only Victor was using the name.

“Yes, he was trying to eat a lizard,” Hiroko explained, assuming Yuuri hadn’t seen what happened. “Our little Iggi will eat anything, won’t you?” she cooed, scooping him up. She glanced back to Yuuri again. “Are you ever going to tell me how you and Victor settled on his name?”

Honestly, it had kind of just happened. Yuuri hadn’t really known they’d settled on it until now, seeing others use it. “Ah. Well.”

“I love it,” Hiroko assured him. “Your father and I looked it up, and we love that it means _only son_. It suits him, with all his sisters. We’re just surprised that you two went with an African name, we expected Japanese or Russian.”

“…Victor thought of it,” he said, figuring that was technically true. He walked over to his mother, reaching his hands out and taking the pink dragon from her. Iggi immediately curled up against his chest and began a dragon equivalent to a purr.

* * *

Georgi’s month with them was coming to an end as well, and Victor and Yuuri were so grateful for his help. In addition to taking a load off Victor and Mari’s shoulders by selling his potions at the cart rather than the inn’s front desk, he had taken to brewing more and more for Victor too. It was becoming clearer every day that potions was not Victor's passion, though he could have told you that ages ago, and any chance he had to abandon his cauldron to help in the sanctuary he took. Victor was conscious of the fact his business was his main means of income, the salary from Mahoutokoro nice but nowhere near what he made with potions, but it was hard to talk himself into cutting herbs and leaves when he could be wrestling with Makkachin.

After a lot of trial and error, they had figured out the best schedule for an assistant to have, thanks to Georgi’s willingness to work ever changing shifts the whole month. Now, as he wrapped up his last few days, he was training the new hire, a local wizard from town that was friends with the family named Emil. They had the schedule set so that the wizard would arrive at the inn after the hatchlings were at the sanctuary so there was zero chance of one wandering out of the family area and being spotted. The cart would be stored near the side door in a closet they rarely used, and it wouldn’t require him to enter the inn much at all. Every evening they would wait until the cart was closed and stored, Emil well on his way home before they brought the hatchlings back for the night.

They would start with the wizard simply selling the ingredients and potions. If all went well, perhaps they could add brewing to his job description, once they were positive no dragon mishaps would happen with him entering the family area.

* * *

Hiroko was doting on Iggi once again, cradling the pink newborn dragon in one arm as she stirred the miso soup. “Your fur is so soft,” she cooed, loving the fact their newest addition had a stripe of hot pink fur running from its head to its tail. “I just can’t believe it. I didn’t know dragons had fur. You’re a special little one, aren’t you?” Iggi chirped happily, batting his little paws at her playfully. Hiroko giggled, and set the spoon down to wiggle her fingers over him for him to swat, little claws glinting in the kitchen light.

“Careful hon,” Toshiya warned from the table where he was slicing vegetables. “He’s gonna catch you one of these days.”

“He’s harmless,” Hiroko assured him, grabbing one of the tiny paws in her hand. “Aren’t you?” He slowly pulled her hand to his mouth, chewing gently on her fingers. It pricked a little, but Hiroko just smiled and let him nibble.

Victor popped his head into the kitchen, eyes lighting up when he spotted Iggi. “Ah, there he is!” he grinned.

Hiroko turned back to the stove, saying over her shoulder, “There who is?”

Victor laughed, stepping in and putting his hands on his hips. “I’ve been looking for Iggi all afternoon.” Somehow no one ever admitted to his whereabouts. “I want to drop him off at the nursery before practice.”

“But I just got him from Mari ten minutes ago,” Hiroko protested.

“That’s odd, considering I asked her if she had him half an hour ago.”

Hiroko turned around to face him. “I can watch him,” she said, fingers still acting as a chew toy for the little dragon. “It’s no trouble.”

Victor sighed fondly. “Don’t you have the dinner rush to prepare for?”

“He’s a big help,” she insisted, despite the fact both her hands were completely occupied and she had no way to cook. Victor held his arms out, and she reluctantly handed Iggi over.

“I’ll be back by seven,” he told her, holding the dragon in one arm, his front legs draped over Victor’s shoulder. “After dinner we can pick him up together, okay?” Hiroko nodded, patting the little dragon on the back before turning back to her soup.

Aside from wanting to ensure his youngest hatchling wasn’t interrupting Hiroko and Toshiya in the kitchen, Victor wanted a little time for just the two of them before he headed to Mahoutokoro for Quidditch practice. He took his time walking to the field, chatting about nothing in particular to a dragon who couldn’t understand anyway. When he reached the field he was immediately spotted by the four Opaleye and swarmed.

“Careful, careful,” he said, hopping around to avoid being tackled by one of them in their enthusiasm. They still acted like they had gone days since seeing Victor every time he saw them, even if it had barely been a few hours. “Don’t make me drop your brother!”

The triplets were getting so big, heads coming up to Victor’s hips now, and Makkachin was up to his knees. Where had his tiny lap dragons gone?!

Victor pet each on their head, greeting them by name and carefully continuing to walk as they circled him and jumped for attention. “Go play, girls, go play,” he encouraged, waving them away to the center of the grass. “Iggi is trying to nap.”

Attention span as small as their energy was plentiful, the triplets soon were off running through the field, jumping and racing about. Makkachin stayed at his side, trotting along with him as he walked over to sit next to some boulders, settling Iggi in his lap. Makka plopped down beside him, head on his thigh, and sniffed the pink little dragon curiously. The four Opaleye hatchlings were immensely curious as to this new arrival, always trying to get a peek or to play. Due to the size difference, Yuuri and Victor preferred to hold him around them, just in case someone got a little too excited and played too rough. Though they had been very gentle when Makka was little, they were considerably larger now.

“I know it’s my usual day to stay home,” he started, patting Makka on the head with his free hand, still holding Iggi with the other. “But I’ve got an extra practice tonight with the Shunrai House. Yuuri will be home soon though, and Aunt Mari will check on you too.” The max time Iggi would be without either of his dads was maybe an hour, but Victor was still apologizing as if he’d be without them for a week. “And Makka will keep an eye on you, won’t you girl?” The black Opal chirped happily at the sound of her name.

Victor sat as long as he could, but soon it was time to head into the cave to walk down to the nursery. “Okay, up we go,” he said, getting to his feet. Makkachin hopped up too, tailing swishing excitedly, and followed him as he crossed the field. “Who wants to go down to see Azura and Vicchan?” he called. Verndari, who was lounging off to the side of the field, opened his eyes at the sound of their names. In an unusual turn of events, when Victor came to drop the girls off to play in the field with Azura or Vicchan, Verndari had been here with his mate. Victor didn’t think much of it at first, the red dragon often napped while Azura chased after the hatchlings, but this time as Victor started to leave he noticed Azura heading into the cave. Verndari made to follow but she barked over her shoulder, a clear negative to that idea, and he plopped to the ground right where he was, pouting but obeying.

Victor felt bad for momentarily wondering if he ought to leave his girls in Verndari’s care. He loved the red dragon, but he’d never been the sole babysitter, as far as he knew. He quickly pushed the worries away, telling himself Verndari must have watched over Vicchan plenty of times and he was fine, Victor was just being a worrywart.

Victor suspected he’d missed a crucial moment the other night in the cave. Was it his imagination, or had Verndari been making an effort to be more sociable since then?

Hisa and Ai ran for the cave, eager to see the two older dragons, while Kou continued to romp around the field. Makkachin rubbed against Victor’s legs before running to join her, and the two made their way over to Verndari, running up his tail to his back and sliding down his massive side. He huffed, and they just did it again.

“Last chance, Azura and Vicchan,” he called, but the two were content to play on Verndari before starting a game of tag in the grass. “Okay, see you later!” he said, heading into the cave to walk down the stairs, following the sound of little claws ahead of him.

Down in the sanctuary, they made their way over to the nursery, passing through the boulders and entering the grassy plain with all the nests. His two white Opals were already tackling their favorite Common Welsh Green, the Glasswing stirring from her nap at the commotion and looking like she was about to join the fun.

Victor headed over to Azura, who was breathing her hot steam on three yellow and brown spotted eggs, one of her most recent hatchlings on each of her front paws. “Room for one more?” he asked, setting Iggi down before her. The pink little dragon tripped in his haste to snuggle up to her front, heat radiating from her blue scales. Azura rumbled pleasantly. “Yuuri will be back in an hour or so,” he said, still not entirely sure if she could understand him but always speaking to her as if she did anyway. “Thanks for watching him!”

* * *

Yuuri and Mari peeked into Victor’s workroom Friday morning before he left for school. The wizard before them was hard at work stirring two cauldrons at once, knives magicked to slice different ingredients on his two tables. That wasn’t what they were staring at though.

The man had a pink dragon strapped to his back.

“I thought he was bad with trying to hide Makka under his table while he worked,” whispered Yuuri in disbelief.

“Where did he even get a backpack like that?” asked Mari.

“Conjured it, probably,” Yuuri said, unsure if he was amused or concerned over the fact Victor went to this extreme to prevent potion making interrupting his dragon time.

“…Are you going to say anything?” Mari asked.

Yuuri chuckled quietly, backing away from the door. “I’m going to give him ten more minutes. Then I’m going to go in there and ask him what he thinks he’s doing.”

* * *

Saturday morning finally arrived and Victor was flitting about the inn with excited nerves. His first time refereeing a Quidditch match was this afternoon, and he was so eager for the game to just _start_ already. He was terrible when it came to waiting.

“Maybe I should go early,” he was saying over breakfast, Kou at his feet and Hisa trying to climb into his lap. He kept gently pushing the much too large dragons chest, urging her back to the floor only for her to set her front legs on his chair again.

Yuuri, finished eating, had given in to Ai and was trying to ignore how heavy she was in his lap, chair pushed far back from the table to accommodate her. “It’s eight am, Vitya. The match is at two.”

“I know,” he said, tossing a bit of meat to the floor to distract Hisa. “But I’m just too excited to sit here!”

“I have a long list of things I need help with, if your calendar is so wide open,” Yuuri said with a smile.

Victor had a feeling he didn’t want to do any of them. “Maybe I ought to send out some orders,” he said quickly.

Yuuri laughed. _That’s what I thought_. “Well, while you do that, I’ll get some grading done. I think I’ll take the papers out to the field so Iggi can get some fresh air.”

“Oh, but… I thought I’d watch him this morning.”

“What happened to the no dragons in the workroom rule?” laughed Yuuri.

Victor pouted. “He’ll be fine, I’ll keep him away from everything.” Once securely in the little backpack Victor had conjured up, Iggi could safely ride around on his back.

Yuuri smiled fondly. “Just for an hour, okay? Then I want to take him outside for some exercise.”

“Deal,” Victor grinned, happy to get his way. After breakfast was cleaned up, he snuck Makkachin into his workroom as well, conjuring a comfy bed for her under his table.

* * *

By noon there was no keeping Victor from the school grounds. He Apparated to the docks and flew on his broom right to the Quidditch pitch. With a flick of his wand he was in his all black referee robes, and he walked over to the storage shed to get out the equipment.

Taking advantage of the empty field, he released the snitch and hopped back onto his broom, kicking off into the air. Flying was always a passion of his, and as he raced about the arena he reminisced about all the games he’d played and won at Durmstrang. How was Yura doing? This afternoon might be his first game of the season too. Victor wondered if with the time difference he’d be able to make it to Durmstrang in time to see it.

Around one the Shunrai and Toppuu teams arrived, and Victor landed, snitch in hand after catching it for the third time in an hour, and went to lock the ball up until it was needed. With that done, he walked over to the Shunrai Captain. “Ready for the first game of the season?” he asked happily.

“Yes, sir!” he beamed back.

The players from both teams flew to their respective sides, warming up with speed drills and passing the Quaffle back and forth. Students and professors began to trickle into the stands a short while later, and Victor was pleased to spot Yuuri taking a seat in the front of the professors box. He waved, and Yuuri waved back, smile wide.

“You know, Professor Katsuki’s never been much of a Quidditch fan,” said Victoria, a transfer student from Beauxbatons and Chaser for the Toppuu Eels.

Victor suppressed a smile. “Is that right?” he asked.

“I wonder why he’s suddenly felt the need to sit front and center,” she continued.

“I’m sure he’s here to support his House,” Victor said, feigning utter obliviousness.

“His House,” she nodded, “And maybe the new referee…”

Victor laughed, flying a few feet above her, preparing to make a supposedly embarrassed escape. “I highly doubt he even remembers I’m here. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to check on something.” Victor flew to the height of the stands, circling the arena to ensure all was ready for the game, and maybe flying a little closer than necessary to the staff box, pausing a moment to chat with Professor Katsuki.

* * *

At two on the dot Victor blew his whistle and threw the snitch into the air. Both seekers raced after it, quickly losing it to the glare of the sun. The Quaffle was snatched by the Toppuu Chasers and Victor was immediately impressed with the speed in which they flew to the Shunrai end, passing the ball back and forth so quickly it was a blur.

Toppuu scored twenty points in the first five minutes, their Chasers flying circles around Shunrai’s Keeper. Victor was worried Yuuri’s House would destroy his at this rate, but once a Bludger knocked the Quaffle from Victoria’s hands, Shunrai’s Chaser was quick to grab it, darting for the three goal posts on the other end.

After forty-five minutes the spectators were nearly as dizzy as the players from watching two well matched teams race from one end of the pitch to the other. Victor called a few fouls for either side, mostly minor infractions caused by the heat of the moment, and while keeping one eye on the action, he couldn’t help the old habit of searching for the snitch. His practiced eye spotted it multiple times, hovering just over a Keeper’s head or fluttering beneath the Yosamu stands. He tried not to stare at it too hard, not wanting to give away its position to one of the Seekers.

Two hours in and the score was forty to sixty, Toppuu still holding on to their lead. Both Seekers were circling the pitch, Shunrai above the other players and Toppuu below. Victor had spotted the snitch gliding merrily along the support beams of the arena and steadfastly refused to glance back at it.

Within minutes there was a loud gasp from the crowd as Toppuu’s Seeker rocketed up in a straight line, and all eyes looked wildly around for his goal. Directly above him the snitch hovered, and after a second it made a beeline for the far end of the pitch. The Shunrai Seeker above shot after it too.

Out of habit, the other players flew out of the way of the snitch and Seekers, but the Shunrai captain shouted out, “Kelly, go!” In a second Kelly flew across the field, the Chaser cutting off the snitch which rerouted and flew up, right into the path of the Shunrai Seeker who snatched it out of the sky.

The stands erupted into cheers as the Shunrai team flew to the center of the pitch, congratulating each other on the first win of the season. Victor was beaming himself, feeling overwhelmed with House pride despite only being a Shunrai Cat for a few months.

The players landed and headed for the locker rooms, and students and staff began to file out of the stands. Victor flew up to the staff stands where Yuuri stood at the front, waiting for him.

“Congrats on the win,” Yuuri smiled when Victor was hovering before him. “And congrats on the coaching. You _clearly_ taught them that, going by the reactions of everyone around me.” The professor’s box had nearly deafened Yuuri with the amount of “ _What was that?!”_ that had been shouted after that last play.

Victor beamed with pride. “I may have gone over something similar,” he agreed. “Though I never thought a _Chaser_ would be the one to use it!” He was pleased with the proof the Seekers had not only listened to his suggestion that day, but really did go back to their team to make it their own.

The box was nearly empty of spectators. “Well, I guess I better get back to the palace,” Yuuri said. “Will you be home soon? I just need to grab last nights homework and then I’ll be on my way.”

“I just need to change, but,” he rifled through his pockets for his wand, pointing it at himself and replacing his referee gear with his traveling cloak. “I’m not one for locker rooms anymore. Come on,” and Victor flew a little higher, even with the stands railing. “I’ll give you a ride back to the palace.”

“Vitya…” Yuuri laughed. “I can walk.”

“I know. But I can just as easily fly you. You’ll be on your way home that much faster…”

Couldn’t argue with that logic. “…Alright.” He glanced around, few people left in the arena. “Your fan club is going to have a field day with this,” he said as he stepped on the first bench, reaching for Victor’s hand to help him over the railing and onto the broom.

“It’s _our_ fan club, darling, and yes I do hope one of them sees me _finally_ convincing the elusive Professor Katsuki to give me a chance.”

Yuuri sighed fondly and leaned to give Victor an exasperated peck on the cheek, but the man quickly leaned back out of range. “Not here, Yuuri, I have a whole thing planned for our first kiss.”

“That was _months_ ago!” Yuuri laughed, falling against Victor as he took off for the palace.


	16. The Katsukis Meet the Ahlbergs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Victor and the Katsukis finally get a chance to talk to the Ahlberg's and compare sanctuaries.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The fabulous Jade_ice did this beautiful artwork of Yuuri's eye in dragon form! https://photos.app.goo.gl/25iLKdbmFCzvRziu5
> 
> You have my eternal love and devotion! Thank you Jade!

Victor and Yuuri spent the rest of the weekend relaxing at home, the four Opaleye spending the night in the sanctuary, leaving them with some time alone with just Iggi. They still weren’t quite sure what he was – other than 100% adorable.

They were currently in Victor’s room, lounging on the bed with Iggi between them. “How are the potions lessons going?” asked Yuuri, closing the _Ancient Chinese Dragons_ book he’d borrowed from Victor’s collection. It was clearly hundreds of years old, printed back when dragons weren’t thought to be fictional, though they still had been incredibly rare. Victor said he’d found it in a pawn shop, valued for its age rather than its subject.

“Really well!” smiled Victor, lowering his own book, _Advanced Potion-Making_. He had been looking for a recipe for Everlasting Elixirs. While it wouldn’t be a good business practice to sell a potion that would never run out, resulting in the customer never needing to purchase it again, he was interested in seeing if he could use the basic model and tweak it with a few items he already sold. Maybe a hybrid would allow him to make a bottomless brew of a common potion base, reducing his need to start from scratch and allowing him to finish orders faster. “Satsuki and I are thinking about adding one more session, just for students participating in the championship.”

“That’s great,” Yuuri said. “What day will you be doing it?”

“We thought Saturday mornings, ten to noon. The evening sessions are getting pretty popular, which is fantastic, but with larger crowds comes less one on one help. We didn’t expect such a big turn out!” Yuuri chuckled quietly at that, amused that Victor didn’t see that coming. “We want to make Saturday’s just for those thirteen and older and participating in the championship.”

Yuuri nodded. “Do they have to pass a qualifying round?” he asked. “I didn’t participate when I was at Ilvermorny. I don’t remember much about the selection process.” Potions had been his worst subject. No way was he going before multiple magical schools just to fall flat on his face.

“Yes,” Victor said. “In January there will be the first qualifier. It’ll be an internal competition where we determine the top six students of Mahoutokoro. In February there will be two events, four schools at each one. Durmstrang, Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Koldovstoretz in one, Mahoutokoro, Uagadou, Castelobruxo, and Ilvermorny in the other. The best from each school will then compete at the Championship in June.”

“Where were the qualifiers when you participated?” he asked.

“Beauxbatons and Castelobruxo. I think this year they will be at Durmstrang and Ilvermorny. And of course the Championship will be at Uagadou this year. Mine was at Hogwarts.”

“I’ve never been to Hogwarts,” Yuuri said. “Only Ilvermorny and Mahoutokoro. I hear it’s beautiful though.”

“It’s lovely!” Victor agreed. “The grounds are very well kept. Too many ghosts for my tastes though. There was this really annoying one named Peeves that kept pulling my hair. It was much longer back then.”

Yuuri laughed. “That would be annoying. But, wow, have you been to every school?”

“Almost!” Victor grinned. “At least half.” His eyes lit up in excitement. “Satsuki and I will be going with the students to Ilvermorny for the second qualifier. I’ve never been. You can show me around!”

“Oh!” gasped Yuuri. “Um. Am I allowed to go?”

“Of course! You’re more qualified than me, you know, being an actual professor. And it’ll be on the weekend, so it won’t interrupt your teaching schedule.” He leaned over Iggi, giving Yuuri his best puppy eyes. “Please Yuuri, it won’t be Ilvermorny without you!”

Yuuri blushed. “If it’s alright with Satsuki that I tag along…” Victor beamed. “It would be nice to see Ciao Ciao again.”

“Ciao Ciao?” asked Victor, tilting his head in confusion.

“Professor Cialdini,” he explained. “My Transfiguration professor and Head of House. He helped me get the Creature Care position at Ilvermorny, though he says he had nothing to do with it.” Yuuri was convinced he’d pulled some strings, but Celestino insisted Yuuri’s talent had spoken for itself.

Yuuri grew quiet all of a sudden, a look of deep concentration taking over his features. Victor waited, but after a few minutes of silence he gently asked, “Yuuri?”

He blinked. “Sorry. I was just thinking… Ciao Ciao is a great wizard. Not just in terms of magic, but as a person. He would be an incredible asset if he joined our cause. Maybe…while you and Satsuki tend to the competition, I could try to talk to him about the dragons?”

Victor was surprised but pleased. Yuuri was definitely getting bolder, more open with the possibility of letting trusted friends in on what had been such a closely guarded secret for so long. “That’s a wonderful idea. Accompanying our students would give you a perfectly valid excuse to travel there in person.”

“Maybe Phichit would be willing to join me,” he said, thinking out loud. “The two of us could persuade him, I’m sure…” He couldn’t imagine Celestino ignoring the plight of innocent beasts, all they had to do was convince him the beasts were real.

“We can call him right now,” Victor said eagerly, starting to swing one leg out of the bed to get up. “I’ll grab the Floo Powder.”

“Vitya,” Yuuri laughed, leaning to catch the sleeve of his shirt in time to stop him. “The time difference!”

“Oh yeah,” he said, flopping back down against the headboard. “I always forget that.”

“I’ll do a fire call first thing in the morning,” Yuuri said. He didn’t particularly enjoy sticking his head in the fireplace, the feeling of half his body around the world so surreal, but every now and then it was nice to talk to Phichit face to face rather than through the small mirror.

Victor made to respond, but instead let out a small, “Ouch!” He looked down to see the formerly snoozing Iggi eying his elbow hungrily. “Iggi,” he sighed, scooping him up under his arms and holding him nose to nose. “Are you ever not hungry?” Iggi trilled and nipped at Victor’s nose. “Ouch!”

“That was your own fault,” chuckled Yuuri, reaching to take the pink dragon. Cradling him in one arm, he grabbed his wand off the bedside table and waved it quickly, conjuring a small bone. “Here you go,” he said, trading the wand for the bone and holding it before the dragon. “Nibble on this instead of us.” Iggi happily snatched it, front paws holding it steady as he gnawed on it with fervor. Yuuri watched him with a smile before glancing up to Victor. “I’m pretty sure he’s going to eat us when he’s full sized.”

“Nonsense, we’re family!”

Yuuri set the dragon down between them once again before reaching to turn out his light. “Good night Iggi,” he said, and the only response he received was the sounds of grunts and slurps. “Night Vitya.”

Without the girls taking up so much bedspace, and neither wanting to part from Iggi, Yuuri had taken to spending the night in Victor’s room when the Opaleye were in the nursery. Victor leaned over to give Yuuri a quick kiss. “Goodnight my Yuuri.” He turned off his own light and snuggled into his pillow.

* * *

The following week flew by, and before they knew it they were halfway through November.

“You’ll be back by one?” asked Yuuri for tenth time that morning.

Victor was getting ready to head to his first Saturday morning championship prep. “Twelve-thirty at the latest,” he promised, pressing a kiss to Yuuri’s hairline. “I wouldn’t leave you to talk with the Ahlberg’s alone. Do you want me to ask Satsuki if she can handle today solo?” Yuuri’s nerves had started acting up last night, anxious about speaking with the new family this afternoon.

“No, no,” Yuuri said, “No need for that. She’s not expecting our call until four. I just want to make sure everything’s ready…”

Victor set his hands on Yuuri’s shoulders, squeezing gently. “Chris gave us all their questions he couldn’t answer, and you and I wrote out everything we want to say to answer them. You’ve explained your history with the dragons to me, Chris, Georgi… We got this,” he said. “We don’t even have to worry about them not believing us about dragons. This will be the easiest revelation yet, don’t you think?”

Yuuri thought the fact they were just as experienced, maybe even more so, was exactly the problem. He normally felt like the one in control, the one who knew the most on the topic. Now he was worried this family would listen to him and find fault in everything he’d done so far. Chris had said the family had been living in the mountain with the dragons for _generations._ Yuuri didn’t even have a decade of knowledge. “I’m sure you’re right,” he said, not sounding sure at all.

“I will be back by twelve-thirty,” he repeated, pressing another kiss to Yuuri’s forehead before stepping away. “We can go over everything one more time, then take the girls down to the field for Verndari to babysit.”

“Okay,” Yuuri nodded. “I might take them down now, let them run off some energy.” Victor had a feeling Yuuri really wanted to go down to fly himself, one of his ways of coping with stress.

“That’s a great idea. Makka was just saying she wanted a dip in Azura’s onsen.”

“Oh she was, huh?” he laughed. “I’ll make sure she gets some time in the water.” Feeling a little better, he waved goodbye. “See you later.”

“Bye!” Victor beamed, Disapparating away to the Mahoutokoro staff lounge.

* * *

When Victor returned he found Yuuri with his sister in the lobby of Yu-Topia, chatting quietly about the check-ins they had left for the day. They smiled when they saw him and waved him over.

“How was the prep session?” asked Mari. “Any future Nikiforov’s in your group?”

Victor beamed. “Plenty!” he said. “It’s going to be so hard to narrow them down to six!”

Hiroko peered around the corner, asking, “Is that Vicchan?”

“Hai!” he said, smile wide. “Are you joining us for the call with the Ahlberg’s?”

She nodded. “Toshiya and I just need to finish up the lunch rush,” said Hiroko. “We should be done by two, plenty of time to make the call at four.”

Yuuri spoke up next. “Vitya, could we head to Minako’s a little early?”

“Of course,” he agreed. “Do you want to go after lunch?” Yuuri hesitated. “Do you want to go now?”

“…If it’s not too early…”

Victor chuckled. “It’s fine. Just let me grab a quick bite to eat, then we can get going. Do you want anything yourself?” Yuuri nodded and followed Victor into the kitchen.

After a quick lunch Victor, Yuuri and Mari set out on the short walk to Minako’s dance studio. The witch had a very popular business, but had agreed to let them borrow one of the rooms for a few hours. Originally Yuuri had planned to use his pocket mirror to call Famela, hoping that Victor would be able to comfortably see too. When Famela mentioned her parents wanted to join, they worried it would be a little too small to make them all out clearly. Then the other three Katsuki’s requested to join in too, and soon a handheld mirror was out of the question.

“Thank you for letting us charm your mirror, Minako,” Mari said as they entered the small studio. The entire wall on one side was a mirror, more than large enough for all the Katsuki’s and Victor to clearly see the Ahlberg’s, and vice versa.

“Not at all,” Minako smiled, bouncing Iggi in her arms. “It was well worth it for the privilege of babysitting this little guy. Take all the time you need!” She left the room with the little pink dragon, both cooing happily.

Yuuri, Victor and Mari brought out their notes to go over once more. Yuuri felt like he was prepping for an exam rather than a friendly chat. Chris had provided all the Ahlberg’s questions weeks ago, and they’d been working on finding the best ways to answer them. They were itching to go to Sweden themselves and see the zoo, but their schedules were packed, and even if they would prefer to ditch their responsibilities and run off on an adventure, they knew they couldn’t. Yuuri’s salary helped keep their own sanctuary running, and he was needed to tend to their own dragons. He would just have to wait until December.

Hiroko and Toshiya arrived around three, and they started arranging their chairs in a way that left them all visible and able to see the mirror. It was unusual to have them all out of the onsen at the same time, but with the dragons safely in the nursery, other than Iggi with Minako, they felt comfortable letting their part time help handle things alone for a few hours.

At four on the dot, Yuuri braced himself and said, as steadily as he could, “Famela Ahlberg.”

Immediately a young witch appeared, life size before them in the large mirror, her parents on either side of her. “Yuuri Katsuki?” she asked, looking questioningly at each of them quickly.

“Ah, here,” Yuuri said, raising his hand slightly. “You must be Famela?”

“That’s me!” she grinned. “This is my mother, Maja, and my father, Felix. Say hi, guys.” Her parents smiled and waved.

“Nice to meet you,” chimed the Katsuki’s. “This is my sister Mari,” Yuuri said, pointing to her. “My mother, Hiroko, my father, Toshiya, and my boyfriend Victor Nikiforov.” Despite his nerves, he still managed to feel a tingle of excitement at introducing Victor that way for the first time to someone. Victor’s grin and light nudge in return made him think he was pleased to hear it too.

Maja perked up. “Nikiforov? The potioneer?”

“You’ve heard of me?” Victor gasped, delighted.

“My sister loves your hair tonics,” she said. “Won’t go out without them.”

“How flattering!” he smiled. “I have a few things I could recommend if she likes those!”

Mari cut in, teasing lightly with, “No potion talk, Victor. We’re here for the dragons.”

“Sorry,” he laughed.

They all looked at each other, waiting for someone to begin. Finally, Famela spoke up. “So. Your friend Chris says you guys rescue dragons like we do.”

“Yes,” Yuuri nodded. “Both wild and those in captivity, as I’m sure he told you. Mostly ones we hear about through some Ministry connections. When we get wind of a sale, we try to intervene.”

“What kind of Ministry connections?” asked Famela.

Chris had warned them the Ahlberg’s were particularly unhappy with any Ministry happenings. “We know some people in the Beast Division,” is all he was willing to reveal. He was sure admitting Mari herself worked with the Ministry would get them nowhere. “They keep tabs on dragon movements for us.” The Ahlberg’s looked satisfied with that, nodding. Yuuri’s turn for a question. “How did you start your zoo?”

Maja answered. “The setup we have now came about in the last few decades. But several generations ago our family lived on the mountain, well aware it was dragon territory. The dragon population grew fewer and fewer, they noticed, until they were all but gone. A genuine love for the species is what sparked the original desire to protect an endangered species. We started by creating all the caves and stocking them with meat to entice the dragons to nest there. Over time, as we started finding dragons oddly unfit for the environment, we started charming more elaborate areas for them further inside the mountain.” Chinese Fireballs definitely didn’t belong in the Swedish snow.

“By the time I came around,” Famela chimed in, “The mountain was basically Swiss cheese with caves and tunnels. I suggested we just commit to hallowing the whole thing out.” They went on to detail how caves turned into full enclosures over time, with their invisible walls keeping the dragons in their own area to avoid fighting.

“It became very clear early on that the dwindling numbers and unusual breeds around here were not happening naturally,” Felix said. “The deceased dragons we found had not only wounds you would expect from an animal attack, like claw marks or bites. Their scales were obviously blasted off by what could only be wizards spells. And there would be no logical reason for these tropical breeds to migrate here on their own, clearly they were transported. Our family began looking into it closer, and it didn’t take long to see what was going on.”

Yuuri glanced to Victor. His boyfriend had a sad look to his features, no doubt imaging what it must have been like for the Ahlberg’s generations ago, present for the initial overhunting of dragons and watching it evolve into near extinction. Being helpless to stop it, able to save a few dozen while the rest disappeared. Yuuri reached over to grip one of Victor’s hands, giving it a little squeeze.

Maja spoke again. “We try to keep the tradition of living on the mountain and rescuing dragons in the family, but it’s not always everyone’s dream. My oldest son Liam, for example, went on to open a restaurant in Diagon Alley after he graduated Durmstrang. The constant living in secrecy isn’t something we’d ever force on anyone.”

Famela frowned. “It’s a small price to pay for saving the dragons,” she said. “Liam wants to slice and dice onions while dragons are being sliced and diced in our own backyard!”

“Famela,” her mother scolded.

“What kind of person can grow up here,” and she motioned around them, indicating their zoo, “And decide cooking köttsoppa is a more rewarding life than this?”

“That’s enough,” her father said firmly. “Liam is allowed to pursue whatever makes him happy, just like anyone else.” Famela crossed her arms, still scowling, clearly unhappy with her older brothers choice.

“As I was saying,” Maja said. “It’s a family tradition to keep the zoo going. Every new generation brings new ideas, and it’s evolved into a very impressive operation, if I do say so myself.”

“Chris was very impressed,” Yuuri nodded, remembering how their friend had gushed once he’d finally gotten home and absorbed everything. He hadn’t seen everything the first time he’d called, only two exhibits, but there had been so much more to see. “He mentioned that you and your youngest still live outside the mountain, and that the rest of the family lived inside, but we didn’t realize until he later explained how much extended family is there.”

Maja beamed. “Yes, the whole family!”

“Except Liam,” grumbled Famela.

Maja ignored her. “We like to joke we have our own village,” she said. “It’s Felix’s family that dates back to the beginning, but as descendants married their spouses of course were let in on the secret. And their kids grew up here. Some moved on and some stayed, but there’s, oh, fifty of us at any given time?” She looked to her husband who nodded. “We met when Felix and I were in school. He’s a herbology nerd, and a cute one at that, so I suddenly needed a lot of extra tutoring to pass.” She grinned and nudged her husband, who looked a little embarrassed yet pleased all the same.

“Ugh, Mom,” Famela groaned. “They don’t need to know that.”

“I’m just saying,” she continued, “That that is one way our family has lasted this long. New members join every few years, and once we are sure they’re trustworthy, they’re invited to the mountain.” She grinned again. “Felix brought me on our third date. His parents were a little upset, as most are introduced to the dragons after marriage, but it all worked out.”

Felix smiled. “I knew you had the heart for it the moment I met you.”

“I was a little behind, not having grown up here, but _Farmor’s_ library was a big help.” [Grandma]

Victor and the Katsuki’s sat up straight. “Library?” asked Mari.

Famela answered. “We lost count for the exact generation it officially started, but a great-great-grandma at some point began collecting all the books on dragons she could. At one point they weren’t that uncommon, you know, but as the dragons disappeared, and people forgot about them, the books fell out of print too.”

Victor was particularly interested in this. “I have a book collection too!” he enthused. “I’d love to see if we could swap some sometime.” He’d love to get his hands on a new one, having memorized everything he owned now.

“That would be lovely!” Maja said. “Please bring some with you when you visit in December.”

“When can we come see your zoo?” asked Famela eagerly.

Yuuri hesitated, wishing desperately to return the favor but still finding it hard to relinquish control. Victor jumped in, saying, “As soon as we can coordinate our school schedules we’ll let you know. We both have taken on a lot this term.” Famela nodded.

“Speaking of yours,” Felix began. “Chris told us quite a lot about your sanctuary. I understand it’s very different from our setup.” Yuuri swallowed, nervous that it seemed it was soon to be their turn to speak. “To start with, it sounds like it’s only recently been built?”

“Ah, 2005,” he said. Five years felt like such a long time to him with all they’d been through, but compared to hundreds he supposed five was next to nothing. “I found the original three dragons when I was in school in America and brought them home to Japan. We originally had them living in a large field behind our home. It had a small patch of woods, a little hot spring, we added some caves… We created the sanctuary after a few months when it was clear they needed more space, and also when we realized there were more dragons out there that needed help.”

The Ahlberg’s nodded. “And how big is the sanctuary?” Yuuri had never bothered to measure it before, but that had been one of the questions on Christophe’s list, so he glanced down to get the number they’d jotted down earlier. “Chris said there’s different sections, which sounds like what we’ve done for the different breeds, but then he said they all cohabitate? Did he explain that wrong?”

Yuuri squeezed Victor’s hand a little harder. This was probably the biggest difference, looking beyond age of sanctuaries and size. “Ah, well…when we get a new dragon we do keep them off on their own for a bit,” he said. “They’ve just been through a lot and aren’t particularly friendly, with both dragons and wizards. We try to get them back to good health, good eating habits again, and as calm and comfortable as possible in the first couple months. Similar to your fences, we have charms up so the barriers are invisible, allowing the dragons to see each other but not interact.”

The family nodded, so he continued. “Once they’re ready, we introduce them properly to the general population. There are four different environments they can explore, and they choose what they’re most comfortable in.”

Now the Swedes looked shocked. “General population?” asked Felix. “So they _are_ all in one area?”

“It’s a very large area,” Mari said, more confidently than Yuuri. “There’s plenty of space for them all. If one chooses to be solitary, it can easily stake a claim to a territory and live in peace. Most, after the initial surprise wears off, tend to seek out companions.”

“You aren’t constantly breaking up fights?” gasped Famela. “We couldn’t even keep two male Hebridean’s together without an issue.” Never mind different breeds!

“Like we said, there’s an introductory period,” Mari said. “But once we make it clear we mean no harm, and the other dragons seem content, the newcomers settle down.”

“How exactly do you make it clear you mean no harm?” asked Famela. She did her best to do the same, with mixed results. It wasn’t like she could just talk to them.

The Katsuki’s hesitated, not willing to admit Yuuri’s gift, so Victor jumped in with, “My Yuuri has a natural way with dragons. They can sense he’s someone they can trust. Especially since they see him so often in the nursery.”

“Nursery?” asked the Ahlberg’s in unison.

Hiroko spoke up, the nursery having quickly become her favorite section of the sanctuary. “We had to create a special section for all the eggs we recovered,” she explained. “We brought home dozens one night and had no other choice, really. Yuuri and Victor have a great little area set up for it, and all the little hatchlings get along so well. We must have two dozen hatched by now, and another two dozen incubating. They’re so precious.”

Maja’s eyebrows rose. “We don’t see hatchlings very often,” she said. “Now and then some eggs are laid in the mountain, but we don’t find any in the wild.” They assumed those weren’t something traders would leave behind.

“And there’s no way a dragon would let us get near a hatchling if we did have one,” Famela said. “It’d bite your head off before it let you close enough to see it.”

Yuuri thought of all the times he’d wrestled Vicchan in front of Azura and Verndari. How his mother almost always had one in her arms as she fed the hatchlings, and Victor with Iggi on his back as he brewed. There was clearly a major difference between families, but he didn’t know what they did that granted them access into the dragons lives so much more than the Ahlberg’s.

There was a scratching sound that distracted him for a moment, but as he glanced around to place it it stopped, so he dismissed it. All he could do was shrug. “Maybe because we built the nursery, and placed the eggs ourselves, they allow us to be there?” he suggested.

The Swedes frowned, clearly thinking there had to be more to it than that. They rescued dragons, healed and fed them just like the Katsuki’s. They meant no harm, were gentle as possible and let the dragons live their lives how they wanted with little interference. Pru and the two other Vipers allowed Famela close, though they were some of the few eggs they had recently. They had put the three together in a cave, and without an adult Viper to place with them, the trio grew up with only Famela caring for them. The rest wanted little to do with the Ahlberg’s.

Surely the Katsuki’s didn’t hand raise every single dragon? No, they couldn’t, if they were finding adults and bringing them home…

“I find it very hard to imagine all the different breeds getting along, raising each other’s young…” Maja marveled. “According to the books in Farmor’s library, most breeds had small clans. Usually the main breeding pair and a few offspring. Sometimes nests were close together, and they might mingle a little, but I wouldn’t call it cohabitating.”

“When an egg hatches we try to have only one female there, or a pair if we have a pair, for the hatchling to imprint on. So there is a main parent, but…all the females tend to help out. Some males too,” Victor said, thinking of Verndari’s surprising new devotion to babysitting and wondering if Azura was somehow making him volunteer more.

“So, what happens when-“

Maja was cut short when Yuuri gasped, wooden chair beneath him partially giving out. “Huh? What? Oh – _Iggi!”_ As Yuuri examined his chair he saw his youngest, pinkest hatchling gnawing on one of the chair legs. “How did you get in here?” he asked, bending down to scoop him up. He heard the Ahlberg’s react, but he didn’t glance at the mirror, instead looking over the dragon to make sure he was okay. “You’re supposed to be with Minako.”

Said witch slid the door open, panting and wide eyed. “Oh, thank god!” she wheezed. “I set him down for one minute and when I turned around he was gone!” The door she had just burst threw had a little hole chewed in the corner, the thin shoji standing no chance against Iggi’s sharp teeth and claws.

“He’s alright,” Yuuri assured her, standing and draping him over one of his shoulders, holding his hind legs with one arm so he could fish out his wand. “He chewed one of your chairs, but I can fix that.” With a quick wave he repaired the wooden leg, then handed Iggi back to Minako. “He’s an escape artist,” he said. “A very hungry escape artist.”

Minako laughed, relieved her charge was in one piece, and began heading for the door, stopping when she heard Famela cry out, “Wait!”

The Katsuki’s returned their focus to the mirror, having temporarily been distracted by Iggi’s appearance. The Ahlberg’s all looked bewildered, Famela’s mouth agape while her parents stared unblinking.

“Was…was that a dragon?” coughed out Famela.

Minako walked further into the room once again, within sight of the charmed portion of the wall, Iggi in her arms. “Yes,” she said, standing so that he could clearly be seen. “This is our little Iggi.”

Before, Yuuri had completely forgotten to be nervous about showing off one of his hatchlings, too startled by his chair breaking. Now, he tensed, not prepared to show off any of their dragons, especially one of his and Victor’s.

Maja asked, “Aren’t you all indoors?” Judging by their backdrop they appeared to be.

“Ah, yes,” Yuuri said. They had really not planned to get into the girls and Iggi on the first call.

Victor, as usual, lost his filter when it came to their hatchlings. “Iggi is still small enough to live with us full time,” he beamed. “The girls used to, but they’re spending more and more time in the sanctuary now.”

“ _Live with you_? _”_ squawked Famela. “What do you mean live with you?”

Victor blinked, unused to that reaction. Most people just said ‘aww.’ “Well, why wouldn’t he?” he asked. “He’s a baby. He needs constant care.”

“From his _mother_ ,” she said firmly. “He’s not a pet you can house train!”

Victor’s smile dropped. “ _I’m_ his-“

“Vitya,” Yuuri cut in, putting a hand on his thigh to get his attention. Victor snapped his mouth shut, frowning. Yuuri gave his thigh another quick pat before turning back to the mirror. “We found Iggi as an egg,” he said. “We unfortunately don’t know where his mother is, or even what breed he is. Our female dragons all have more than they can handle at the moment, so we’ve taken it upon ourselves to help out with this one.” That was technically true, just left out a few details. “Once he’s a little bigger he’ll live full time in the sanctuary, but since he’s so small we prefer to keep an eye on him at home.”

“Dragons in the wild do just fine,” Famela said.

“Well he’s not in the wild, he’s with us,” Victor said in return.

Famela began to respond, but her mother put a hand on her shoulder. “Hon, let’s not argue. We don’t have any say in how they raise their dragons. Would you want them to tell us how to run our zoo?”

“Well they’re doing it wrong!” she pouted. “They’re wild animals, not domestic house pets.”

Yuuri, who had feared this exact reaction, began to nervously fidget. “We are kind of making it up as we go,” he said quietly.

Victor frowned. “Don’t make excuses for your work, Yuuri. You’re the best thing that could have happened to the girls, _and_ Iggi, _and_ all the dragons.” He held his hands up to Minako, who passed Iggi over, and Victor cradled him gently in his arms. He personally didn’t care if Famela thought it was weird, Iggi was his and he wasn’t afraid to act like it. “You love your Yuuri, don’t you Iggi?” The pink dragon snapped playfully at Victor, who jerked back fast enough to avoid a bite on the nose, smile back in place. “Of course you do.”

“Vitya, he’s seriously going to eat you one of these days,” Yuuri sighed, taking the dragon from him. Yuuri felt joy and hunger radiating from the dragon, the same two feelings that nearly always flooded off the pink dragon. Wand still in hand, he carefully conjured a thin slice of steak and had it hover before Iggi. The dragon quickly snatched it out of the air, little claws greedily holding onto it as he chomped away at it.

He chanced a look back to the mirror. Famela still looked irritated, but Felix seemed amused and Maja was looking fondly at the little dragon. “He’s adorable,” Maja said.

“Isn’t he?” Victor beamed, all annoyance forgotten. “He gets that from Yuuri.”

Mari snickered while Yuuri rolled his eyes. “Vitya…”

“Do you bring all the hatchlings inside?” asked Felix, trying to get back to their discussion.

“No, not at all,” Yuuri said. “Just a select few. They all basically live in the sanctuary now, we just needed to take in five this year. Overcrowding in the nursery,” he lied.

“At the rate we’re gaining dragons and eggs lately,” Toshiya began. “We could use a second sanctuary. We’re trying to release as many healthy adults as we can, which is why Chris and Masumi were in Sweden to begin with.”

“That’s what they said,” Maja nodded. “I’m sure he told you this is the last place you’d want to bring them right now.”

They all nodded. “We’re going to look a little further north,” said Mari. “We know some people who can help us find and avoid the other Ministry zones. We want these dragons to be free once and for all, not just in a larger cage.”

“We can recommend a few places,” Felix offered. “We know where a lot of ours choose to fly to when they aren’t in their caves.”

“That would be very helpful,” said Yuuri. “Thank you.”

“Any thoughts on the tropical dragons?” asked Victor.

Maja tapped her chin in thought. “No, not really,” she said. “Nowhere around here. We can try to come up with a few ideas though. Perhaps your friend could check them out.”

“Chris would love for us to send him to a tropical island for ‘work,’” chuckled Victor. “I’m sure he’d take his time to get a very thorough idea of the landscape.”

“Why don’t we leave today’s discussion at that?” suggested Hiroko. “We all contemplate a few places for the dragons, and we reconvene next weekend to pick the best option to further explore.” The Katsuki’s nodded, and the Ahlberg’s agreed.

“It was wonderful to finally meet you all,” said Maja. “Chris had nothing but the highest praise for you all and your work. I was surprised to learn he’d only known about the dragons for a few weeks, he was so passionate when he spoke about them.”

Yuuri hugged Iggi a little tighter. “They’re not hard to love,” he said. In his opinion, anyone who had a heart would instantly fall for their dragons charms.

They wrapped up their conversation, all waving goodbye to each other and promising to meet up again the same time next week.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, it went about as well as they could hope. The Ahlberg's aren't quite sure what to think of the dragons being indoors, but the Katsuki's can't really explain why the little ones live with them full time without giving a lot of personal info away. Hopefully the families bond and get to know each other better in the future!
> 
> Leonzite, some of your requests are going to be thrown into the main storyline. You'll still get your christmas snippet gift, but I liked some and stole them for this :)


	17. Yuuri's Birthday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Victor only has three days to throw together Yuuri's birthday surprise. What can he come up with?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just realized that I never use Satsuki's last name, so for some reason the students have been calling her by her first name when they say Professor Satsuki. I think because it's so close to Katsuki that I just forget it's not her last name xD but at this point I'm too lazy to go back and fix that, so from here on out Professor Muramoto is Satsuki.

The weekly call with the Ahlberg’s fit smoothly into their routine. Every Saturday at four Victor and Yuuri, along with whoever else might be available at the time, would summon Famela and her family to trade dragon rearing tips, swap funny stories, or ask for advice. There were a lot of differences between them, and Yuuri at first worried that may be a problem, but in the end there were more similarities in the ways that counted, like a love for dragons and a desire to learn more and do better for them.

They were just finishing their third and final call for the month when Yuuri dropped a bombshell.

“I can try to get that information to you by Thursday,” he was saying to Maja, who had asked for anything he had on Aruban Stars, a breed they had never had the pleasure of seeing in Sweden. “I would normally be able to get it together sooner, but I haven’t started grading any of my student’s homework yet this weekend, and I know my parents will want to host dinner on my birthday, so I think Thursday is the earliest I could expect to get it done.”

“No hurry,” Maja said.

Victor’s jaw dropped. “Your birthday?!” he gasped. “When is your birthday?” The Ahlberg’s laughed quietly and waved goodbye, quickly winking out from the mirror to leave them alone.

“The 29th?” said Yuuri, surprised at his reaction. “Did I forget to mention it?”

“Yes!” cried Victor. He did the math. “I only have three days to prepare!”

“Prepare-? You don’t have to do anything special, Vitya. We usually just have katsudon for dinner.”

Not do anything special? It was his Yuuri’s birthday! “We have katsudon all the time,” Victor said. “We ought to do something out of the ordinary.”

Yuuri shrugged. “I like katsudon. That’s always been enough for me.”

But Victor was determined to provide the best birthday ever for his boyfriend.

* * *

The Mahoutokoro staff lounge was packed during their lunch hour. Yuuri brought a bento almost every day to avoid having to worry about lines for the food from the kitchens, but today Iggi had gotten ahold of it and somehow devoured it in less than ten seconds, and he hadn’t had time to prepare anything else without being late to class.

Standing in line, he found himself behind Professor Morooka. They hadn’t caught each other lately, and the older professor smiled and looked over his shoulder to chat. “How are classes going?” he asked.

Yuuri smiled. “Better than I expected.”

“We all knew you’d do great,” Morooka said. “And I hear your friend Mr. Nikiforov is quite popular with the students too. Good recommendation.”

“That was all Professor Muramoto's idea, actually,” Yuuri said, turning a little pink. “Victor just happened to tag along and be in the right place at the right time.”

“Lucky us, then,” said Morooka genuinely. “It’s about time we won the Potions Championship again, and with him tutoring the students I think we stand a real chance at winning the Golden Cauldron this year.”

Yuuri nodded. “He’s definitely giving it his all,” he promised. “Mahoutokoro will make it to the Finals at Uagadou for sure.”

It was then Morooka’s turn to order from the house elf before them, so he faced forward again and Yuuri thought he was left to his thoughts, before Satsuki appeared out of nowhere beside him. “Hi Yuuri!” she beamed.

“Hi,” he said, a little startled at her sudden appearance.

“No bento today?” She had noticed his habit of bringing one every day.

“No, one of the kids ate it,” he grumbled. She looked curiously at him, and he seemed to realize what he’d said. “Ah, we have some family in town,” he hurried to explain. “They haven’t learned boundaries yet.”

“I see,” she nodded. “Well, you’re in luck that it’s Monday, everything’s fresh. You need to be careful by Thursday or Friday.”

“Don’t the house elves make everything fresh daily?” Yuuri asked.

“That’s what they _claim_ ,” she said, stepping forward and grabbing a tray. “But if you eat it every day like I do, you start to notice the leftovers.” Yuuri picked up a tray as well and followed her through, picking out what looked tasty before following her to a table in the back. He normally sat alone, trying to spend the time efficiently doing something like reading or grading, but today Satsuki was determined to make him socialize. He found he didn’t really mind it.

“I wanted to ask you for a favor,” she said as they worked on their lunch.

Yuuri swallowed his current bite. “Oh?”

Satsuki looked a little sheepish but trudged on anyway. “Victor is technically the one who would do said favor, but… I’ve already volunteered him for Potions and Quidditch… so I thought if you asked him…”

Now Yuuri was very curious. “What is it, Satsuki?” he asked.

“Well… the new year is coming up fast,” she said, and Yuuri nodded for her to keep going. “And spring brings around Dueling season…”

Aha. “You want me to ask him to volunteer for Dueling Club?” guessed Yuuri.

Satsuki clasped her hands together in front of her, stars in her eyes. “He would be perfect for it! He won every year at Durmstrang!”

“So I’ve heard,” Yuuri chuckled. Everyone seemed to know Victor’s history as Durmstrang’s Darling.

“I know he has his business to put first, and he’s already dedicated so much time to our Potions group, and I hear on top of refereeing Quidditch he’s doing private practices too, but I just really think he’d be a fantastic addition! I mean it’s been Byun and Morooka heading the club for _years_.”

“I think Professor Morooka does a good job,” Yuuri pointed out. “He was my sisters Dueling instructor, and she’s one of the best duelists I know.” Her skills came in handy all the time when intercepting dragon trades.

“Well. Yes. They’re both very talented,” she agreed.

Yuuri could hear the ‘but’ coming a mile away. “I’ll ask Victor tonight,” he promised. “I can’t guarantee he’ll accept, but I’ll suggest it to him.”

“Thank you!” she gushed. “I know you two will make the best Dueling team we’ve ever had!”

“Yes, Victor would be a great – wait, us two? What are you talking about? I’m not volunteering with the Dueling Club.”

Satsuki frowned. “Yes you are,” she said, sounding just as confused. “Your name was on the sign-up list. That’s why I thought you ought to be the one to ask Victor to join, since you’re already doing it anyway.”

Yuuri’s jaw dropped. “But I didn’t…” His eyes travelled over to the bulletin board on the other side of the room. He stood from his chair and walked over, reading over recent news and ignoring it, looking for the Sports & Club Volunteer page. When he found it, he scanned down the list of clubs and activities of the school until he found Dueling Club: January – June, 2x week. Sure enough, beside it was his name, written in handwriting that was definitely not his own. 

His first thought was, “ _Victor…”_

* * *

“Dueling Club?” asked Victor later that afternoon. Yuuri had marched into his workroom the moment he’d gotten home and demanded to know what Victor thought he was doing. “I didn’t sign you up for Dueling Club. But what a great idea! I’ll join too!”

Yuuri was left nearly speechless. “You didn’t?” he asked. Victor shook his head. “Then who did?”

“I don’t know,” shrugged Victor. “But you and I would make a fantastic team, don’t you think? How many volunteers do they need?”

“Vitya, focus,” Yuuri sighed. “Someone volunteered me, and if it wasn’t you or Satsuki,” and he was pretty sure she didn’t have the nerve, even if she worked up the courage to ask him to talk Victor into it for her, “Then who else is there?”

Victor tapped his chin as he thought it over. “I don’t know,” he said again. “But no harm done. If you really don’t want to do it, just tell Headmaster Kida that it was a mistake.”

“…Well…” Did he want to do it? He hadn’t taken the time to consider that, jumping right to confronting Victor about whatever prank he was trying to pull. “I mean…it would probably be kind of fun, now that I think about it…” Victor beamed. “But that doesn’t mean you have to do it, Vitya. You have so much on your plate already. And Dueling Season will start right when the Potions competitions do.”

“I can handle it!” he assured Yuuri. “I did it all as a student, remember? It should be even easier to manage as a teacher. I don’t have class anymore.”

“No, but you have a job,” Yuuri reminded him.

Victor waved off his concern. “I’ll have Emil fully trained and basically a pro by January,” he said. “I can brew a ton of large batches in December to give me a head start on orders.”

“Head start? You’re already behind.”

“It’s _fine_ ,” Victor said. “I don’t like to brag, but one benefit of being as well known as myself is that people are willing to wait for my products. It doesn’t matter if I’m a little late, as long as I deliver.”

* * *

Tuesday morning Victor asked Emil to meet him at the inn’s front door instead of slipping in the side door to grab the ingredient cart like he normally did. He’d made sure all the dragons were out of Yu-Topia and there was nothing to indicate their presence, then walked Emil to his workroom.

“I thought we could brew until noon, and then you can take what we make to the square,” Victor said. Emil happily agreed, eager to learn more.

They started with Victor asking Emil to whip up a few potions he was confident in, and Victor would judge if it was up to his standard, maybe tweak it if necessary. Overall he was pleased with Emil’s skill and was hopeful he would catch on to Victor’s more intricate, original recipes down the road.

“I would like for you to help me a few times a week in the mornings,” he said. “With Christmas around the corner we are going to get an influx of love potion orders, along with a few other popular brews. I would like to fill all the backorders we have by mid December, and I can’t do that alone.” Victor thought back to a year ago, when he barely saw the light of day in November and December, brewing from the moment he woke up to the moment he couldn’t keep his eyes open any longer. How had he had the discipline for that? Maybe it all boiled down to not having anything better to do with his time. Now, the last thing he wanted was to spend more time than needed in here when he could be helping his students, playing with the dragons or chasing after a blushing Yuuri.

Emil looked to the multiple stacks scattered around on the tables, all orders waiting to be filled. “All of them?” he asked.

“As much as we can,” Victor said.

With a determined look, Emil cracked his knuckles. “Sort them by potion, please,” he said, picking up his wand. “I’ll start with the Star Grass Salve.” With a swish the six cauldrons began filling with water, the logs beneath igniting with flame. Victor obediently flicked his wand at the stacks of papers and they flew into the air, sorting themselves by request and landing in smaller piles along the tables. Victor normally had multiple different brews going at once, but it appeared Emil’s plan of attack was knocking out one potion at a time.

While Victor worked with Emil, Yuuri was in the sanctuary, enjoying his designated day of tending to the dragons. As he made his way through all the different areas, using the Gemino Curse to double the sheep at his side for the dragon’s lunch, a quill and parchment floated in the air behind him, taking notes.

“Remember to ask Famela what she does when her dragons meet outside the mountain,” he was saying. “They have the invisible walls inside to separate the exhibits, but what about when they venture off? Is there any way to know if they’re fighting then? And remind me to talk to Victor about why their dragons would be fighting anyway. Ours get along so well.” The quill scribbled furiously to keep up with his ramblings.

Yuuri found Moonstruck at the base of the mountain, lounging in a snow bank with a little cloud above her, charmed for an eternal flurry. “Hi girl,” he said, and she looked up at him, blinking awake. “I’m sorry, were you sleeping?” He felt a drowsy sort of interest from her, and pushed back an apology. “Ready for lunch?” he asked.

When the dragon was awake enough to focus, she spotted the sheep munching on grass a few feet behind Yuuri. She instantly hopped to her feet, pushing off into the air to dive at it. “One second!” Yuuri hurried to say, realizing this was his last sheep at the moment. “ _Geminio!_ ” His doubling charm hit the sheep, and instantly half a dozen exact replicas appeared in time for Moonstruck to snatch one in each of her hind claws. He watched as she carried her prize further up the mountain to eat in peace, roaring in accomplishment and breathing her signature blue flames. “Two is not going to be enough for her,” he said to himself, and shooed a few more sheep toward the grass at the base for Moonstruck to find later.

“ _Geminio,_ ” he said, copying another sheep so he had a small flock. “Alright,” he said to them, starting off toward the jungle. “Let’s try to find Opal.”

* * *

Victor passed Mari on his way to the kitchen. “All set?” he asked, and she just nodded, giving him a thumbs up.

* * *

Wednesday morning Yuuri awoke to breakfast on the bedside table. He reached for his glasses, sliding them on to get a better look, and saw a little vase on the tray with a red chrysanthemum. He smiled and picked up the flower, smelling its sweet scent for a moment before putting it back and shuffling to sit up straight. He pulled the tray to his lap and noticed a little note under the chopsticks reading _Good morning My Yuuri! Happy Birthday!_

He’d almost forgotten it was his birthday, but clearly Victor hadn’t.

Halfway through eating Yuuri plucked his ruby pin off the bedside table and pressed it. “Thank you, Vitya,” he said, and within seconds there was a _crack_ as Victor appeared.

“Happy birthday!” Victor beamed.

“Thanks,” Yuuri laughed. “You didn’t have to do this.”

“I wanted to!” he insisted, dropping down onto the bed beside him. Victor picked up the chopsticks and expertly snagged another bite with them, holding it out for Yuuri. His boyfriend rolled his eyes with a smile but leaned forward to take the bite.

When Yuuri was full, Victor banished the tray and hopped to his feet. He glanced at the clock on the wall. “Oh! We should get you off to school soon!”

Yuuri frowned. He had plenty of time. If he left now he’d be over an hour early. Suspicious, he slowly asked, “Are you trying to get rid of me?”

“Of course not!” Victor insisted. “I just don’t want you to be late!”

“Uh huh,” he said, swinging his legs over the side of the bed and getting to his feet. “I’m going to take a shower. Whatever you’re up to, knock it off.”

Too late. Things were in motion. “Be out in twenty minutes!” Victor called through the bathroom door. “And don’t go in my workroom!”

“Why would I go in your workroom at six in the morning?” asked Yuuri.

“Exactly, there’s no reason to,” Victor said, and with a _crack_ Yuuri knew he’d gone downstairs.

* * *

Yuuri was a little apprehensive leaving the bathroom, partially worried Victor was going to pop out at any moment, but he managed to dress in peace, stop by his room to grab a few things, and make it to the family area downstairs without incident.

“Happy birthday!” Hiroko beamed, pulling her son into a hug.

“Happy birthday, little bro,” Mari said from her spot leaning against the doorframe.

“Thanks,” Yuuri said, pulling out of Hiroko’s bear hug for a deep breath of air. He looked around. “Where’s Dad?”

Hiroko wasn’t any better at lying than Victor. “Oh, he had some things to do this morning,” she said.

“…He’s with Victor, isn’t he?” asked Yuuri. Hiroko fumbled out an incoherent response and puttered off to the kitchen. Yuuri looked to his sister.

Mari shrugged. “They left a couple minutes ago. Said to tell you to have a nice day at school and not to mention they were together.”

“Where did they go?”

She shrugged again. “I dunno. But Victor had like eight of those wands with him, and Dad was going on about how he’s always been good at Charms.”

“Oh boy,” Yuuri sighed. “I told Victor he didn’t have to do anything special. Which way did they go?”

Mari nodded toward the hall. “Out the front door,” she said. “I’m not supposed to let you follow though.”

Considering she hadn’t done a very good job at listening to their directions so far, Yuuri assumed she wouldn’t stop him now. He started for the hall just as his sister whistled. Immediately there was a thunderous sound of a stampede, and then five dragons burst into the family room, all trying to jump on Yuuri at once. “Wha-“ he gasped as he was toppled over, tongues licking him all over his face. “Girls! Down!” He was sure Iggi was part of this tangle of scales and wings too but couldn’t see him. “Sit!”

“Sorry little bro,” Mari said, pulling her hand out of her pocket and tossing a little vial in the air, catching it and tossing it a few more times with a smirk. “But Victor promised me Veritaserum if I agreed to help.”

“Traitor,” Yuuri groaned from beneath the dragons.

* * *

After letting him lay there for a few minutes, Mari helped Yuuri back to his feet and together they walked the dragons down to the field. Yuuri gave them all treats and pets before Disapparating to school.

Everything seemed normal enough in the staff lounge, to his relief. He greeted the other professors and then headed to his classroom, stopping in the hallway when he saw Satsuki. “Good morning,” he said, and she immediately jumped to attention.

“Yuuri!” she cried. “I didn’t see you! I mean good morning!”

He was instantly suspicious. “Where’s Victor?” he asked.

“Victor?” she asked, voice too high. “He doesn’t have potions prep this early in the morning, so I don’t think he’d be at the palace yet.”

“Mhmm.” They expected him to believe that Satsuki just happened to be nervously lingering in the hall that lead to the Transfiguration Wing, someplace Yuuri had never run into her before?

“Oh, I forgot something in the lounge,” she said, rifling through the papers and binders in her arms. “Would you walk back with me?”

That does it. “I don’t get it,” Yuuri sighed. “I thought Victor wanted me here early. Now you’re all trying to stall me?”

“Well when you didn’t leave early he couldn’t finish it at home. I-I mean what, I’m not stalling you!” she squeaked.

“Satsuki,” he said firmly. “What’s going on?”

The witch fidgeted. “I’m sorry, Yuuri. I’d normally tell you, but…but Victor gave me signed copies of _all_ his Witch Weekly covers in exchange for keeping you busy.” She held the items she’d been holding in her arms down for him to see better, and behind what looked like her normal school binder was a stack of magazines, the top one sporting a curly, flashy, familiar autograph. “Can we just walk to the lounge?”

Not wanting to put her precious reward in jeopardy, he reluctantly sighed and let her lead him back to the staff lounge.

* * *

Victor handed Toshiya another flower pot. “Your choice,” he said. “Though I think we have enough roses.”

“There’s never enough roses,” Toshiya grinned.

* * *

“Class starts in ten minutes,” Yuuri said, still stuck in the staff lounge. “Students are probably already in the classroom. Don’t you have to get going?”

Satsuki glanced at the clock again. “It should be okay now…” And she really did need to get to her own classroom, which was a much longer walk than the Transfiguration Wing. “If he asks, I didn’t let you go early, okay?”

“I will swear I had to charm my way past you,” he said. Satsuki thanked him, taking him seriously, and darted off for the Potions Wing. He himself set off for his classroom, anxious about what awaited him.

By now the hallways were flooded with students, and a few wished him a happy birthday, and he wondered how they knew. He suspected whatever Victor was up to had something to do with it.

At his door, which was unusually closed, he braced himself and opened it, stepping in.

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY PROFESSOR KATSUKI!” cheered his first class of the day.

Yuuri stared. His classroom had been completely transformed from white walls and marble tile to a beautiful outdoor terrace. Why, he had no idea, but his jaw dropped as he took in the details. Flowers and vines climbed the pergola that now resided over his desk. The ceiling was charmed to be a bright sunny day, vastly different from the true November gloom, with wispy white clouds blowing in a faux wind. “What on earth?” he asked. There were flowers and trees scattered all over in different sizes of pots and planters, giving the room a sweet, fresh aroma. “What is this?”

“Your surprise!” chirped Victor, who was waiting in the center of the room. “Don’t you like it?”

“It’s beautiful,” Yuuri said, walking further in and looking all around, at both the scenery and his excited students. “But…why?”

“I snuck a peek at your lesson plans for this week,” Victor admitted. “You had transfiguring flowerpots into vases and trees into shrubs today.” That had completely slipped Yuuri’s mind when faced with this shock. He nodded in agreement. “Well, you need something to put into those vases and flowerpots, don’t you?” he beamed, motioning to all the flowers in the room. “And there’s plenty of trees for your students to practice on.”

Yuuri blinked for a moment, then started to laugh. He closed the distance between them, putting a hand on Victor’s arm. “This is the most ridiculous, thoughtful, practical yet amazingly impractical gift anyone’s ever given me, Vitya. I love it.” Victor’s smile grew heart shaped, and before either could think better of it, they leaned in for a quick kiss.

The class hooted and cheered, causing Yuuri to quickly pull away, cheeks dark pink. He cleared his throat. “Thank you, Mr. Nikiforov, for such a thoughtful surprise. I’m sure my classes will enjoy it.”

“Oh come on,” groaned a student. “You _have_ to date him now! Never mind a bouquet, he built you an entire garden!”

“You can’t honestly expect us to believe that was just a thank you kiss!”

Yuuri was nearing tomato levels of blushing. Victor, on the other hand, looked cool as a cucumber. “They have a point, Professor Katsuki,” he said, turning to face Yuuri fully. He reached for Yuuri’s hands, who was too immobilized with embarrassment to move. “Will you go out with me?” Victor’s eyes were shining with mirth, enjoying this far too much.

 _Oh my god, Victor is seriously staging this_ , Yuuri laughed. “Of course,” he said, and when the class cheered again he added quietly, “You idiot.”

“But I’m _your_ idiot,” Victor whispered back, and pressed another quick kiss to Yuuri’s lips. The students went wild.

“Finally,” a girl in the back sighed. “I really thought we were going to have to wait for Dueling season.”

Dueling season? Yuuri’s jaw dropped. “Did one of you sneak into the staff lounge and sign me up for Dueling Club?!” Immediately no one met his eye. “How did you even get in there?” It was charmed to prevent students!

“For the record, that would have worked just as well,” Victor happily supplied. “I was just about to sign up too!”

“Vitya,” Yuuri hissed, smacking him playfully. “Don’t encourage them.” As if he hadn’t already. Yuuri grabbed his arm and dragged him to the side of the room. “Class is about to start. I’ll see you at the end of the day, okay?”

Victor nodded. “Happy birthday,” he said once again.

Before he left, he had one more question. “Is this the thing you had planned for our first kiss?” Yuuri asked.

“No, this was improvised for your birthday,” he said. Yuuri nodded. “I’ll save the other thing for when I propose.”

Yuuri nodded again. Wait. “P-propose?” he choked. Victor winked and hurried out of the classroom.

* * *

Word of what transpired in the Transfiguration classroom that morning travelled like wildfire through the school. By the time Yuuri was finishing up his last class and Victor was arriving for the study group, every student was aware the two pining professors finally acknowledged their feelings.

Yuuri was shooing the last of his students out when Victor walked up beside him. Unlike this morning, he was now dressed in his Mahoutokoro gear, ready for the study group. “Hello My Yuuri!”

“Hi Vitya,” he smiled. “How are Iggi and the girls?”

“Just fine, they’re with Opal and Moonstruck tonight. How was the rest of your day?”

“Well…fine,” he settled on. “Lots of giggling from the students today. Can’t imagine why.” Victor looked innocently at him. “I do love this terrace though. It’s beautiful. Thank you, again, it was very sweet. Completely unnecessary, but very sweet.”

Victor stepped closer to loop his arms around Yuuri’s waist. “If it made you smile, then I consider it very necessary.”

Yuuri laughed and wrapped his arms around Victor in return. “You’re ridiculous.”

“You keep saying that,” Victor smiled. “But I don’t hear you complaining.”

“No. No complaints here.” Yuuri grinned and kissed Victor, happy he could do so the way he wanted without a classroom of students watching them.

A knock at the door interrupted them, and they pulled back a little, still holding each other as they looked to see who it was. Satsuki poked her head in the classroom. “Oh! Sorry! Am I interrupting?”

Yuuri took a step away from Victor. “It’s fine. Can we help you?”

“I was hoping to see the finished product,” she admitted. “I suppose I should have guessed you two would be in here…”

“Come in,” Yuuri assured her. As she entered and looked about at the garden wonderland Victor and Toshiya created, Yuuri made sure to tell Victor, “Satsuki was a good choice for distraction, Vitya. She kept me in the lounge for ages.” Victor winked at her in thanks, and she flushed a pretty pink.

“This is amazing,” she said, walking around the room. “What an unusual birthday present.” She admired the flowers a little longer before saying, “I heard Victor finally asked you out?”

They knew she was well aware they were together, since she’d seen them arrive together for Yuuri’s interview months ago. “Something like that,” Yuuri said.

She chuckled. “When are you going to tell the school you two are married with children?”

This time, even Victor spluttered. “How do you know about them?” he gasped, as Yuuri stuttered out, “We aren’t married!”

Satsuki looked confused by their strong reactions. “Well, you accidentally mentioned one of the kids ate your bento last week,” she said to Yuuri. That ‘family in town’ line hadn’t fooled her. “And Victor, you mentioned having to arrange childcare before you could accept the position here when Headmaster Kida offered it to you.”

She remembered that?! “That isn’t – I mean – we don’t-“

“If it’s supposed to be a secret, then it’ll stay a secret,” she assured them.

“What makes you think we’re married?” asked Yuuri.

“Well, you live together,” she said, as if it was obvious. “I guess I shouldn’t have assumed that meant you were married though.”

“How do you know we live together?” asked Victor, mind continuously being blown by this conversation.

Satsuki blinked. “You have the same address,” she stated. “I sent out the Halloween Ball chaperone instructions,” she said. “Also, I purchased one of your Exstimulo Potions, and the return address was Yu-Topia Katsuki. It…wasn’t hard to figure out.”

Victor and Yuuri looked helplessly at each other. What were they supposed to say now?

“I won’t tell anyone,” Satsuki promised again. “I didn’t think it was such a touchy subject. I mean it was right on the order form, so…”

Living together wasn’t the issue. “We aren’t married,” Yuuri said again. “And we don’t have kids together. Not…not in the traditional sense.”

“Hey, I get it,” she said, trying to backpedal out of the mess she’d made. “It’s totally normal these days for two men to adopt, or…whatever… It’s none of my business.”

“That’s not it,” Victor said, covering his eyes with a hand.

“Vitya,” Yuuri said quietly. “Maybe we should tell her?”

“I don’t need to know!” she said, waving her hands. “Honest! I didn’t mean to pry!”

Victor peeked through his fingers. “Are you sure?”

“…No,” he admitted. “But…of all the people at Mahoutokoro, she’s one of the few I trust the most.”

Satsuki had just enough time to feel touched before Victor nodded and said, “Alright. Satsuki, we’re going to be a little late to the study session. You might want to sit down.”


	18. December

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Victor and Yuuri speak with the Ahlbergs again which leads to an argument.

The first Saturday in December was unusually cold, dropping to the forties and encouraging Yuuri to stay indoors. Victor, on the other hand, seemed perfectly at ease.

“It’s not that cold,” Victor teased. “There isn’t even any snow.” Yuuri supposed that was true. Back in Massachusetts right now, Ilvermorny students were dealing with much worse weather. He was glad those days were behind him. “We don’t even have to walk to Minako’s. We can just Apparate.”

“…Alright,” he agreed. He grabbed an extra sweater just in case and took hold of Victor’s hand, heading to the dance studio for their usual call.

Minako and Mari joined them this time, and with Famela and her mother was her little brother Nils for the first time.

The young boy had his hands up against the glass, eagerly scanning the floor. “Did you bring one of the babies?” he asked, apparently having heard about Iggi’s appearance last month.

Since that first call they had made sure to leave all hatchlings safely at home to avoid another interruption. Their talks seemed to go best when they avoided the fact dragons lived within Yu-Topia. “Not this time,” Yuuri said. “They’re all home in the sanctuary.”

“Aw,” he pouted, stepping back and falling into one of the three chairs. “I wanted to see one.”

“Maybe next time,” Victor said, always eager to please, and Yuuri shot him a look. He shrugged. Maybe?

Maja began their chat with a question. “Have you heard from Chris yet?” she asked. They’d sent him – and presumably Masumi tagged along – to check out Tetepare Island, a large, uninhabited tropical island in the Western Province of the Solomon Islands.

“Yes,” Victor said. “He was very happy with it.”

Mari chimed in with, “It’s essentially all rainforest, perfect for Indigo Glasswings, maybe the Arbonia, and the Aruban Stars would probably do well there too. A little more wet than what they’d have at home, but better than Fukuoka and Sweden.”

“I think our Peruvian Vipertooth would be a good choice too,” said Maja. Famela looked horrified.

“You can’t get rid of Pru!” she insisted. “She’s my best friend!”

Victor shot Yuuri an amused look. So much for the _they’re wild animals, they’re not pets_ speech they got in November.

“We’re just discussing options, hon,” Maja said, tone comforting. “No one’s saying Pru is going anywhere just yet.”

“Who will eat the bad guys?” asked Nils. Mari and Minako looked startled to hear that from such a young boy, but Yuuri hurried to explain, “It’s kind of their family joke. They threaten to have the Vipers eat you if you don’t behave.”

“It’s not a joke,” Nils said seriously. “Pru could eat any one of you!”

Maja looked embarrassed. “Nils, please. You know we don’t feed people to the Vipers. Famela, you never should have taught him that.” The young witch just laughed.

“So, back to Tetepare Island,” said Minako, trying to get them back on track. They discussed a few other breeds that would do well there, how large the island was and how many dragons could reasonably reside there without drawing too much attention or overhunting the local prey.

“I’d like to see it at least once myself before committing,” said Maja. “But I think this could be a real option for us. Felix and I could probably get away in a few days and take a look, make the final decision…” Chris was good for recon, but he didn’t have the experience like either of the families to know what really made for the best habitat.

“Let me know when, I might be able to join you,” said Mari. Yuuri looked surprised. “You can handle the sanctuary solo for one day, right little bro?”

“Of course,” he said. He was more surprised she wanted to go with them rather than by herself. She wasn’t always the most social.

“I’d like to go too,” Minako added. “We haven’t had any adventures in months.”

“Because Yuuri almost died the last time,” Victor frowned.

“I was fine in Detroit, Vitya, not a scratch.” They’d gotten in and out with the eggs easily thanks to Phichit and their friends.

“I’m not talking about Detroit, I’m talking about Tausch’s place.” Yuuri winced. Ah, right. That hadn’t gone well.

“We made mistakes, sure,” Mari said. “But that doesn’t mean we never try again. Minako’s right, we’ve never gone this long without recovering a dragon.”

Yuuri spoke up with, “I thought we stopped because we didn’t have room?” The sanctuary was crowded and the nursery was full of eggs about to hatch. “Did we stop because of me?”

“Yes,” said Victor. “No,” said Mari and Minako.

“…Should we call back later?” asked Famela.

“No,” said Yuuri firmly. “We can talk about our issues later. I’m sorry. This is time to collaborate with you guys.”

Unsure where to go from here, Famela quickly searched for a new topic. “So, what do you guys do when your dragons are bored? Two of Hebridean’s can’t fly, and I think they need some more stimulation.”

Yuuri happily latched on to the distraction from their little argument. “You could try what we do with our Wyrm,” he suggested. “She doesn’t fly either. Typically…” he rattled off a few ways they kept the Wyrm engaged, leading to other types of care, like the strength building they’d done with Opal and Moonstruck.

As they wrapped up the call, Mari reminded them to let her know when they planned to check out Tetepare.

“We will definitely keep you updated. We’d love to have your opinion on it.”

“But if you try anything, we’ll feed you to Pru!” Nils cheered. Famela cackled as Maja whipped her head to look at her youngest.

“Nils, what did I say about-“ The image winked out as the call ended, Minako’s wall once again just a regular mirror.

“Well that was fun,” Minako said, getting to her feet. Yuuri was already halfway to the door.

“Mhmm,” he hummed lowly.

Victor hardly spared a questioning glance to the girls before he too was hurrying out of the studio. “Yuuri?” he called, but his boyfriend didn’t slow his pace. “Yuuri!” He Disapparated, and Victor did too, assuming he went home to Yu-Topia. Victor appeared in the hall of the family area with enough time to see the shoji to Yuuri’s room slid shut. “Yuuri!”

“Not now, Victor!”

Suddenly he felt for Yura, remembering how often and easily he’d dismissed the young blonde the same way. With a frown he stepped quickly down the hall, carefully opening the shoji to peek in to Yuuri’s room. His boyfriend was laying face down on his bed. “Yuuri?” he asked quietly.

The brunette turned to glare over his shoulder. “I said not now.”

“What’s wrong?” asked Victor anyway.

Yuuri’s eyes flashed in a way Victor hadn’t seen before. “How could you embarrass me like that?” he snapped. He put up with Victor’s teasing at school because it was cute, but this was a whole other thing entirely.

Victor was dumbstruck. “Embarrass you?” he asked. “How did I embarrass you?”

“We stopped our rescue operation because of me?” he said. “The reason we haven’t gone out to look for more dragons is because of _me_? Poachers and breeders are out there free and clear _because of me_?” Victor stared, wide eyed and silent. “You _know_ they think we’re backwards and naïve. We’re hundreds of years behind them in this. I’m working hard to earn their respect. Why would you make this all my fault?”

“Wha-? I didn’t say anything was your fault!” Victor insisted. “What are you talking about?”

“You told them I almost died!” Yuuri said. “You told them we stopped rescuing dragons because of it, because of me! How do you think that makes me look?”

“But you _did_ almost die,” Victor pointed out. “I just meant we need to be more careful.”

“I’m not weak,” Yuuri said.

Victor let out a short breath. “I never said you were.”

“I just got caught off guard,” he continued. “I can normally take on a dozen wizards easily.”

“I don’t doubt it.”

“So don’t treat me like I’m made of glass and about to shatter.”

“Yuuri.” Victor approached the bed cautiously, sitting on the edge when Yuuri didn’t snap at him to back away. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you or embarrass you. I know you aren’t weak. In fact, you’re the strongest person I know. Many wouldn’t have survived what you went through this summer.” He set one hand on Yuuri’s back. “I know you’re up for the challenge this line of work brings. But I also know I wouldn’t survive if something happened to you again.”

“This is no time for your dramatics.”

“I’m not being dramatic,” he frowned. “I was seriously scared for you, Yuuri. There was a real chance we could have lost you. I don’t want to go through that again.”

“You won’t,” Yuuri insisted. “It’s not going to happen again.”

“We don’t know that.”

“Well we can’t just sit home and avoid all our problems, Victor. We have work to do, and that involves some danger.”

“I know,” Victor said. “And I’ll be right by your side for it. Just, not yet. I guess…I’m not as over it as I thought.”

Yuuri rolled onto his back to look at him closely. He knew his kidnapping had affected Victor, but he didn’t think it had such lasting effects. “I’m okay, Vitya. It’s been months. I’m all better.”

“I know,” Victor said again. “I do.”

Yuuri sighed, the last of his anger leaving him. “Come here, Vitya,” he said, holding his arms open. Victor eagerly fell into his arms, practically sprawled over Yuuri in the twin bed. “I’m sorry I snapped at you.”

“I’m sorry I embarrassed you. I didn’t mean to.”

“I know.” Yuuri was still so intimated by the Ahlberg’s history. He hated to think Victor’s comment lead them to believe he was hindering their progress. But then, “Maybe they won’t even remember what you said.”

“Even if they do, there’s nothing wrong with them knowing you were willing to sacrifice everything for the Opaleye. If anything, I think it’s more likely they’d be impressed with you than assume you were weak.”

“I didn’t think about it that way,” Yuuri admitted. He wasn’t sure how long they laid there in silence, the fight drained out of them both. He thought they might have dozed off at one point, and then he heard his mother calling for them.

“Yuuri! Vicchan! Dinner!”

“Does she mean me or the dragon?” Victor mumbled against Yuuri’s neck, not quite awake.

“Odds are good she’s talking to you.”

“Mm. Five more minutes. I’m comfy.”

Hiroko must not have heard enough movement from them, for she added, “I made oyakodon!”

Victor, eyes still mostly closed, rolled off Yuuri and got to his feet. “Then again, we shouldn’t keep her waiting.”

* * *

Mari and Minako agreed to meet Maja and Felix that Thursday on Tetepare Island. As Chris had reported, it was a beautiful, tropical rainforest full of everything their dragons would adore.

What Chris had failed to mention were the coconut crabs.

“What the hell is that?” Minako shrieked, immediately levitating herself off the ground as a three-foot arthropod snapped its claws at her. The rest followed suit, either levitating or conjuring brooms.

“That’s horrifying,” Mari agreed, calm but just as unwilling to be near it.

“I can see why this island is uninhabited if those things are walking around,” said Maja. “Will it be alright for the dragons to be here?”

Felix scoffed, though he was right there with them in the air. “A dragon would eat that for lunch, love. It would probably be a delicacy for them.”

Maja grimaced, looking away from it. “I hope they eat them all,” she grumbled.

They agreed to fly for the rest of the exploration, unsure what other surprises were lurking about.

The island was large, but with the aid of their brooms they were able to see a great deal of it. There were plenty of animals for the dragons to feed on, enough space to bring a dozen without worry, with the potential for more once they assessed how spread out they liked to be. There was plenty of fresh water, and of course the ocean for them to swim and fish in. The temperature was perfect for their warm loving dragons.

“I like it,” Maja decided. “Chris did a good job picking this one out.” They had given him several islands to check out in the area, and he and Masumi had selected this as the best.

Mari agreed. “According to my friend Charlie, there aren’t any Ministry zones nearby. I think it’s perfect.”

Felix nodded. “Now we just have to decide who’s lucky enough to get to call this paradise home.” With that, he and his wife returned to their zoo, and Mari and Minako Disapparated to Yu-Topia.

* * *

On the next Saturday call, each family had a list of dragons they thought would fit nicely on Tetepare. To Famela’s relief, Pru was not listed.

Yuuri had agonized over their suggestions. He knew the dragons would love to be free, but he hated to part with them. In the end he chose Smaragd, their Arbonia, and his mate, the yellow Aruban Star named Estrella. While Moonstruck had claimed the first Indigo Glasswing that had hatched, two more hatched a week later, and they had made sure Smaragd and Estrella were there. The pair had missed this season to lay their own and seemed delighted to accept the Glasswings.

“Two hatchlings are on your list?” asked Maja, surprised as she looked over the Katsuki Sanctuary dragons chosen for Tetepare.

“It was a hard decision,” Yuuri said. “But…Smaragd and Estrella would be perfect for the island, and we couldn’t separate them from the Glasswings. It also wouldn’t be right to keep them in the sanctuary just because we don’t want to part with the babies…”

Victor chimed in with, “We’re confident they’ll be alright, considering five of our adults will be on the island, and they’ve already gotten in the habit of living together. We think the babies will continue to have all of the adults at least keeping an eye out for them, if not watching them full time.”

That brought up a concern of Yuuri’s, and he was not sure how to politely ask it, so he just went for it. “We are a little anxious to know what you think your dragon’s reactions will be,” he said.

“What do you mean?” asked Maja.

“Well… You’ve said that your dragons aren’t used to closely sharing land with others, same species or not.”

Famela scowled. “Are you implying our dragons are going to attack yours?”

Yuuri looked a little sheepish. “Well. It sounds like it may be a possibility.”

“So, what, are you just going to claim this island for yourself now?” she asked.

“No, of course not,” Yuuri said.

Victor added, “We just thought maybe we should introduce them slowly? And maybe in a familiar environment?”

Felix spoke up, asking, “Familiar environment? Like one of our properties?”

“Yes,” said Yuuri. “Maybe, when we come later in the month, we could bring one or two dragons with us? We thought if they met in a comfortable place they’d be more open to a friendly interaction.” Yuuri thought it would be better than them stumbling upon each other on the island.

“Why are you assuming ours are going to attack?” asked Famela. “Any of yours are just as capable.”

“Famela,” said Maja. “They have a point. Their dragons are used to being around different breeds, ours aren’t.” She looked to the mirror. “I think that would be a good idea. Please bring one or two with you, and we can see how it goes.”

“A dragon ambassador,” Felix grinned. “I love it. Famela, why don’t we have Pru be our welcome wagon?”

Victor and Yuuri privately thought that was the least hospitable choice possible. But then again, Pru did seem the most inclined to peacefully interact with the Ahlberg’s. And, at any rate, Famela seemed to immediately come round to the idea once her favorite dragon was involved. “Pru will be the best ambassador!” she enthused. “I’m going to go tell her right now!” The young witch Disapparated from her chair a moment later.

Maja and Felix chuckled. “Pru may seem like just an attack dog,” Maja said, “But she’s actually very gentle with Famela, and listens to her very well. Once you get past the poisonous bile, Vipers really aren’t that scary.”

“We’ll take your word for it,” Victor said, not entirely convinced but willing to give the dragon a try.

“Which dragons did you choose for the island?” asked Yuuri. The owl with the Ahlberg’s list hadn’t arrived in time for the call.

“Two Brazilian Shorttails, one Horned Amazonian, and two Arbonias,” said Maja.

“Oh good, Smaragd will have a friend,” Victor beamed, hoping their own Arbonia would get along well with theirs.

“Will he be the one you bring?” asked Felix.

Yuuri hesitated. “I’m not sure. I don’t think so. I think I want to go with one that’s been here a little longer.”

“Okay. Well, sorry to cut todays chat short, but we have got a lot to do today. We’ll talk next week?”

Victor and Yuuri nodded, said their goodbyes, and ended the call.

Victor looked to Yuuri. “Do you have a dragon in mind?” he asked curiously.

“Yes,” Yuuri nodded. “But I should probably ask permission from his mom.”

Victor cocked his head to the said. “Huh?”

* * *

Meanwhile, in Russia

“Yakov, if I take my exams early, can I go to Japan this weekend?”

“Yura, it’s Professor Feltsman here,” he grouched, looking at the blonde sitting across from his desk. “And no. You cannot take your exams early.”

Yura crossed his arms angrily. “Why not? I don’t need to waste any more time studying. I know I’ll get all O’s.”

Yakov sighed. “No. All the other students are taking them next week. That means you are too.”

“But Victor said he expects two more babies on Saturday.” He hadn’t seen a single one hatch!

Yakov scowled. “I don’t know what Vitya is doing over there, but I am sure it is not having multiple children, Yura.”

“I told you, Yakov, he’s got _dragons._ ”

Yakov didn’t know why Yura thought that was any more believable. His student had been telling him this since the beginning of term, ever since he returned from his summer potions internship with that idiotic genius that was Victor. “I’m sure he does, Yura,” Yakov said flatly, looking over the papers on his desk.

“Grandpa believes me,” Yura said. “He’s seen them, on a mirror call with Victor. The one you were supposed to be on too,” he reminded him.

“I had a meeting,” said Yakov gruffly. “Just like now. Shoo. Go practice your Quidditch.”

Yura scowled again and got to his feet. “Fine. But don’t blame me when you have a heart attack in Japan. I tried to warn you.”

* * *

A week later, after their usual four o’clock call, Yuuri and Victor prepared to leave for the first leg of the journey to Sweden. If it were just them, they could Apparate directly, but since they were bringing a full-grown dragon with them, they decided to do it with a stop in Kazakhstan. Victor had arranged for them to stay with Yura’s best friend Otabek for a night. 

First, though, Yuuri knew he had a conversation with Azura waiting for him.

“Hey girl,” he said softly as he entered the cave. She and Verndari were lounging by the fire, enjoying its warmth on such a cold December afternoon. Vicchan didn’t appear to be around. “I’ve got something to ask you.”

Yuuri knew he couldn’t come right out and ask Azura if it was alright that he take Vicchan to Sweden. Their communication style didn’t allow for that level of specificity. Instead, he reached out slowly to pat the scales on her neck, hoping to convey love and trust. “A lot of dragons need our help,” he began. “Not just with moving to Tetepare. The dragons in the zoo aren’t happy, not like here, and I need Vicchan to help me figure out why. Maybe he can communicate better than I. But that means he’s going to be gone for a few days.” He stroked her scales and she looked curiously at him. “I need you to trust me, okay? I promise I’ll bring him back. I know what he means to you. I won’t let anything happen to him.” She closed her eyes, nuzzling into his touch. “I know you don’t entirely understand what I’m saying,” he said. “But I hope you know he’s with me, and that he’s safe.” He patted her scales once more, and she huffed out a little puff of steam. “Thanks, Azura.”

Yuuri dropped his hand and walked back to Victor’s side. Victor still gave the pair of dragons space, unless specifically invited by Yuuri or one of them to approach. “I think that went well.”

“Yeah. I hope they don’t panic when they don’t see him tomorrow. I hope they assume he’s with me, if I’m gone too.”

Victor looked over to the dragons, Verndari ignoring them for the most part in favor of the fire and Azura watching with her big, intelligent eyes. “I’ll take good care of them both!” Victor promised, and with that, he and Yuuri Disapparated down to the sanctuary to pick up Vicchan. Then, with one hand on the dragon and one hand on their luggage, they Disapparated for Kazakhstan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Coconut crabs are nightmare worthy. Don’t Google if you ever want to sleep again, I made that mistake. And they can climb trees!! OMG nowhere is safe


	19. Kazakhstan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Victor and Yuuri arrive in Kazakhstan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Very very short update today!

“It’s good to see you again, Otabek!” Victor smiled, the dark haired young man staring quite expressionlessly at the dragon between Victor and Yuuri.

“You too, Victor,” he said. “It’s been over a year.” He looked from Vicchan’s fangs down to his sharp front claws. “Yura said you’d have a surprise with you.”

“He’s taking this rather well,” whispered Yuuri, petting Vicchan’s scales lightly to encourage him to stay seated next to them and not try to jump on his new friend. “Almost…bored?” Was that possible with a mythical beast before you?

Victor laughed. “This is excited, for Otabek,” he whispered back. Louder, he said, “How’s the season going? Yuuri, I think I told you Otabek is on the Kazakhstan Quidditch team?”

“Yes, and Yura mentioned it,” Yuuri said. “Repeatedly.”

The hint of a smile showed in Otabek’s features. “Yura loves his Quidditch.” He glanced back to the dragon, who had yet to be introduced. “So. Is that what I think it is?”

“Oh! Yes!” beamed Victor, who had temporarily forgotten the main reason why they needed to stop here in the first place. “This is Vicchan! And of course Yuuri.”

Otabek nodded in greeting. “Yura talks about you often, it’s nice to finally meet you.”

“He does?” asked Yuuri, surprised.

“Mhm.” His eyes trailed over Vicchan again. “Said he had a good time this summer at your wildlife sanctuary. It was the only thing he liked near as much as his Quidditch practice.”

“He liked my lessons?” asked Victor. He certainly had a funny way of showing it.

“I told you he enjoyed them, Vitya,” Yuuri reminded him lightly.

“Don’t tell him I told you that,” Otabek said.

The large beast certainly explained why Victor and Yuuri hadn’t requested to meet at Otabek’s home. Instead, they’d asked for a large, open, uninhabited area. Otabek had thought it kind of odd but didn’t ask questions. There was a nature center a short broom flight from his home that did not get a lot of traffic this time of year.

“This area is perfect,” Victor said. “A few precautionary enchantments and Vicchan will be all set for the night.”

“I think I’d like to stay out here with him,” Yuuri said. “Just to be sure.”

Victor wasn’t surprised but was still a little disappointed that meant he’d be sleeping alone in Otabek’s guest room. “I’m sure he’ll be fine,” he said.

“Did you bring camping gear?” asked Otabek, thinking their luggage looked awfully light. There didn’t even appear to be a tent.

Yuuri planned on transforming into his sui riu form as soon as Otabek headed home. “I have what I need. Vitya, you go with Otabek and fill him in on what we’re doing. I’ll keep an eye on Vicchan.”

“He’s not a hatchling,” Victor chuckled, but he understood Yuuri’s anxiety. They were in a foreign country with a rare, valuable beast. Odds were slim someone would stumble upon them and make it through their enchantments, but Yuuri wasn’t easily convinced when it came to his dragons. “But alright. Do you want me to bring you dinner?”

Yuuri looked to Otabek. “What kind of wildlife is around?”

“Antelope, mostly.”

“We’ll be fine, then,” Yuuri said to Victor, who nodded as if this made perfect sense. “We’ll be up at dawn.” He leaned up to give Victor a quick peck on the cheek. “Goodnight, Vitya.”

“Night,” Victor echoed. He put his hand on Otabek’s shoulder and the two Disapparated for his home.

Victor spent the better part of dinner explaining their situation to Otabek, starting with how Victor met Yuuri all the way up to discovering the Ahlberg’s and their current trip to meet the family in person. Otabek asked very few questions and nodded along, letting Victor speak as long as he liked.

“I can imagine Apparating with a dragon would be exhausting,” Otabek said. “I see why you needed to do it in two trips. I can’t imagine how Mari brought three of the in one night.”

Victor grinned. “She’s powerful, that’s for sure. I wouldn’t want to ever get on her bad side.” Otabek chuckled. “But resting isn’t the only reason we asked Yura to get us in contact with you.” The young man raised an eyebrow in question. “Remember how I said we want dragons to be public knowledge?”

“Yes,” agreed Otabek. Victor looked expectantly at him. “…Does that involve me somehow?”

“Glad you asked!” Victor beamed. “You see, we need you and Yura…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Okay, sorry for the short chapter! I have some news though - I am moving! This is very exciting for me, because while I mentioned I am a Detroiter before, the last couple of years I've been living in Alabama. I just found out that I am returning home to Detroit! I will be a bit busy tying up loose ends here before I transfer, packing and finding a place to live, so I will probably have short chapters for a few weeks. Once things settle down I will try for longer ones again. Sorry to be so unreliable in this story when I had a good schedule for the part one lol 
> 
> So yeah. If anyone is a Detroiter as well and is in need of a friend to watch anime with or fangirl over Harry Potter.... just saying I'll be around by March lol


	20. Kazakhstan Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuuri spends some time with Vicchan in dragon form.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please accept these small snippets as a peace offering for not doing a long weekly update. I will try to get one of these out as often as I can :)

When Victor and Otabek left, Yuuri turned to Vicchan, reaching out to pat his snout. “Just you and me,” he said. Vicchan huffed a curl of smoke from his nostrils. “Hungry?” He could feel the dragon’s eager response. “Alright, one second.”

Yuuri took a few paces back and swiftly changed into his sui riu form. Vicchan’s eyes lit up, always excited to have Yuuri this way, and crouched low to the ground, tail wiggling in his tell-tale way that meant he was about to pounce. Yuuri leaped first, tackling Vicchan onto his back and pinning him quickly. Back when he was 15 he’d always lost their wrestling matches, but after years of practice and getting used to his reptilian body, Yuuri had 50/50 odds of winning.

Vicchan growled and thrashed, trying to break loose, but Yuuri stayed put. Eventually Vicchan settled down, admitting defeat, and laid on his back. Yuuri rumbled triumphantly, and the moment he relaxed and began to step off the dragon Vicchan pushed up, knocking him off balance and tumbling him over several times. Dizzy, Yuuri’s vision swam for a moment as he felt teeth and claws scratching at his scales. He knew Vicchan was playing and not trying to seriously hurt him, and once he wasn’t seeing double he growled and returned the playful attack.

A few minutes later Yuuri once again successfully pinned Vicchan. He let out a small burst of steam in victory and stepped off to let him up. Vicchan grumbled a bit but still nuzzled up against Yuuri’s neck, brushing past him to walk through the grass. Yuuri turned and followed, padding along beside him as he contemplated what they should do for dinner.

Otabek had said there were antelope in the nature reserve… they were sure to find some eventually. He was reluctant to fly too high, even with the charms put on the surrounding area, so he nudged Vicchan toward a small hill in the plain, hoping to get a better vantage point.

They were in luck! Not too far off in the distance was a little herd, munching on grass and assuming they were relatively safe in the reserve. Yuuri bumped his shoulder against Vicchan’s, nodding toward the herd, and Vicchan rumbled back in reply. Even after years of communicating with the dragons, Yuuri was always amazed how well they could get their meanings across without words.

There were not a lot of places for beasts as large as them to hide for a sneak attack. Yuuri glanced around, noting they could hardly blend in with the beige plains being bright blue and dark brown. As he thought over everything Azura had taught him about hunting, he felt Vicchan leave his side. He turned to see the dragon walking back down the little hill, and curious, Yuuri made to follow. Vicchan shook out his leathery wings, but when Yuuri went to do the same, he barked out a rebuttal. Vicchan nodded toward the herd, then Yuuri, then shifted on his feet, antsy to get started. Yuuri grunted his agreement, turned and sprinted over the hill, racing over the plains towards the antelope. He let out a roar, caught up in the excitement, and watched as the beasts scattered to the wind at the appearance of this new predator. He took off after a few that separated from the group, breathing hot steam any time they tried to change direction to get back to the herd.

He heard another roar, then the sound of wings as Vicchan flew overhead, snatching up an antelope in his hind claws. Yuuri watched as Vicchan squeezed hard, crushing the creature before dropping it and swooping back down for another. Once he was flying off with his second, Yuuri picked up his pace, easily catching up to the tiring antelope and sinking his fangs into the neck of one. Before long he had it down on the ground, motionless, and Vicchan was picking off a third. Yuuri bit his and pushed off into the air, flying over to where Vicchan had landed after collecting his prey. They had four between the two of them, an unspoken agreement that they would each eat two, and they sat down on their haunches to begin dinner. Yuuri had been wary of learning to hunt when Azura first tried to engage him. He had thought he’d feel bad, or be terrible at it, or at the very least waste the meat. After all, he was human, he wouldn’t want to eat raw meat, right?

Wrong. It turns out his dragon taste buds differed greatly from his human ones, and the antelope before him was more than satisfying as he nibbled away. While it had taken a while to mentally get used to hunting, eating was no problem.

Once they were full they walked back to the spot they had arrived in so Victor would find them easily in the morning. Vicchan pounced again and this time won, breathing a small burst of flames happily. The two lounged together as it grew dark, curled around each other for warmth and security.

That was how Victor and Otabek found them, a mess of blue and brown scales. Otabek watched as Victor stepped forward, patting firmly on what appeared to be Yuuri’s side. “Yuuri!”

Both dragons grumbled sleepily, heads poking up to see what had disturbed them. Yuuri was not a morning person in any way, shape or form. He huffed out a breath of steam and put his head back down, covering his eyes with a paw to shield them from the sun.

“Wake up, Yuuri!” Victor tried again, patting the scales once more. “We wanted an early start, remember?” Vicchan began disentangling himself, sniffing excitedly and eyes landing on Victor. “Ah!” the wizard beamed. “I have something for you!” He opened the bag at his side and pulled out a ferret. “Can you wake Yuuri up for me?” He dangled the ferret in front of the dragon, who in turn gleefully jumped on top of Yuuri, rolling him onto his back. With a roar the blue sui riu flailed for a moment before turning back into a human.

“Vitya!” he whined.

Victor was throwing a second ferret to Vicchan for a job well done. “It’s time to get up!” he said. “I thought you’d want to have breakfast with Otabek before we left, since you missed dinner.”

Yuuri looked to the dark haired man beside Victor. “Oh. Right. I would. Um, does he know…?”

“That you’re a dragon animagus? Yes, he’s all caught up.” Yuuri hadn’t been able to tell if he’d surprised Otabek or not, seeing as his expression hardly changed regardless of the topic. “And he’s on board with our plan, assuming Yura agrees as well.”

“Good,” Yuuri nodded. “We need all the help we can get.”

Victor pulled out his wand and gave it a light swish, conjuring a blanket and little picnic basket. “Don’t normally do this in the morning,” he said. The three of them sat down, reaching into the basket for something to munch on and talking about how they hoped their visit to the Ahlberg Dragon Zoo went later that day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Of course I won't tell you the plan until we're ready to put it in action. Bwahaha!


	21. Victor and Yuuri at the Draken Zoo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Victor and Yuuri arrive at the Draken Zoo, and it's one surprise after another!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I'm late, working on the move still. I had three weeks to pack up here in Alabama (I should still be packing but I really wanted to get this written while motivated) and I start in Detroit on the 17th! Yikes! Very excited about moving but very stressful too! Next week is my last week down here, so it's been very emotional saying goodbye to my team here. I'm trying to assure them they'll like the next manager way more than me and not to worry but I guess they kinda like having me around xD

Victor, Yuuri and Vicchan arrived on the outskirts of the ministry zone and followed the directions from Christophe and Masumi toward the mountain. Thanks to Mari they knew the spells to sneak past the protective enchantments, which they put back in place once they were inside. While it had taken their friends a few days to stumble upon the Ahlberg’s home, with the knowledge of where they were going, they only had a few hours walk ahead of them. They considered flying, but with the time difference they arrived near five in the morning and thought it would be rude to show up that early. Anyway, the walk helped Yuuri prepare himself.

Vicchan stretched out his wings, looking up through the treetops of the little woods they were walking through. “Go on,” Victor nodded. “Don’t stray too far though.” Yuuri looked hesitant beside him. “No?” he asked.

“I’m a little nervous about him flying out in the open. I don’t think he’ll run away or anything, but he might get lost. He’s only left the sanctuary twice before, when I tried to release him and his parents a few years ago.” The trio had enjoyed the trip, but didn’t seem eager to part from Yuuri, always returning to him after their flight and projecting a _that was nice, time to go home_ vibe.

“Why don’t you go with him?” suggested Victor. “Have you ever flown in the wild?”

Yuuri blinked. “…No,” he admitted. He was always human when releasing dragons so he could talk to his family.

Victor smiled. “Try it. I’ll be fine. I can keep an eye on you through the trees, and we’re just walking in a straight line, basically.” He nudged Yuuri gently. “Go have fun.”

“…Just for a little bit,” Yuuri agreed, biting his lip but looking excited. He picked up his pace, catching up to Vicchan who was ahead of them as he turned into a large blue dragon. He barked out a greeting and nudged against Vicchan’s side, the brown dragon looking thrilled to have this version of Yuuri again so soon. Yuuri nipped at him lightly, teasing, before trotting ahead and throwing open his wings and pushing off into the sky. He heard Vicchan’s wings burst open behind him and the resulting rush of air, then a moment later the dragon soared up from beneath him, cutting him off as he spun in circles.

Victor watched from the ground as the two flew in loops, dove and chased each other through the sky. He was certain he could hear Yuuri laughing in the snorts and barks he let out, and he felt stupidly warm and fuzzy inside as he watched his boyfriend enjoy himself with Vicchan.

Victor was neither surprised nor annoyed when Yuuri stayed in the air for over an hour. Every now and then he’d hear or see them through the trees, and that was enough to let him know they were happy and safe, and he continued his brisk walk through the woods. The mountain drew closer, and once it was nearing seven in the morning he whistled for Yuuri and Vicchan to come down. Both dragons landed near him, panting from their playful excursion.

“It’s almost seven,” he said to Yuuri, who huffed an acknowledgement. “Should we fly the rest of the way? We’ll probably get there by eight if we do. Famela said she’d be up by then.” The blue dragon nodded. “Shall I ride you or Vicchan? Or a broom?” The dragon gave him a _look_ before kneeling down on one knee so that Victor could climb up. “I didn’t want to assume,” he chuckled. Victor climbed up and settled near the base of Yuuri’s long neck. “Lead the way!”

The two dragons took off again, Vicchan wandering off to loop in circles or chase a flock of birds now and then, but always returning to Yuuri’s side after a few minutes. Victor was hit with a strong, sudden yearning for it to be possible to do this more often. It _should_ be reasonable for a dragon to just go fly off for a fun flight whenever it wanted. It had no natural predator, it ought to be entirely safe to roam free. Victor sighed. Maybe one day.

Before long they reached their meeting spot. The Ahlberg’s had charmed a few boulders to be square, something easily noticeable, and asked that they wait there to be led to the zoo’s entrance. Yuuri landed carefully and let Victor slide down his side before returning to his normal human self, Vicchan landing beside him.

“And now we wait,” Yuuri said, fiddling with the cuff of his robe.

“They’re expecting us any time now, I don’t think we’ll wait long,” Victor said, hopping up onto one of the square boulders. He reached into the bag he had slung over his shoulder, pulling out another dead ferret. “Vicchan!” he called and tossed it to the dragon who happily snatched it out of the air. Yuuri climbed up beside him, and they chatted to pass the time.

After about fifteen minutes they heard the faint sound of voices approaching. As the people grew closer Yuuri recognized the voices of Famela and her mother, and he sat straighter, suddenly nervous about meeting them face to face.

“Relax,” Victor said fondly. “Everything’s going to be fine. Right Vicchan?” The dragon chirped at the sound of his name, and the wizards heard Famela squeal, “ _Did you hear that!?”_

A few moments later the witch appeared from around a patch of boulders, bouncing on her heels. Her eyes immediately went to Vicchan, who was laying in the grass before Victor and Yuuri. She gasped happily. “Hi baby!” she cooed, as if she weren’t addressing a gigantic deadly reptile “Are you Vicchan?” The dragon’s ears perked up, looking curiously at the new arrival but still very suspicious. He grumbled a warning, apparently unsure what to do when a stranger called his name. Approach for pets? Attack?

Yuuri hopped down, patting his large side. “It’s okay, Vicchan. She’s a friend.” He smiled at Famela. “Hello,” he said. “It’s nice to meet you in person.”

“Hello!” she beamed, the rest of her family following around the corner as she did. “I’m so glad you could come! Especially you, Vicchan!” She looked to the dragon, then back to Yuuri, and finally over his shoulder. “Hi Victor!”

“Hi Famela,” he smiled, hopping down too and walking over to the Ahlberg’s. Her mother Maja greeted him as well, followed by her father Felix.

“This is Vicchan,” Yuuri said, motioning to the dragon. “The one I said I’d most likely bring. He’s been with me the longest and is getting used to meeting new people lately.” Yura, Chris, Georgi, Otabek…. “I thought he’d be the best choice.”

“He’s perfect!” enthused Famela, having never met a dragon she didn’t like.

Maja chuckled. “He seems very even tempered, considering we’ve gotten this close to you without so much as a little burst of flame. I can’t guarantee Pru will give you the same warm welcome.”

“Is Pru with you?” asked Victor eagerly, looking about as if he just hadn’t spotted a dragon nearby.

“She’s at the main entrance of the zoo waiting for us,” Felix said. “Follow us, we’re very close.” The group turned and headed back the way they came, Maja taking a moment to return the boulders back to their original spherical shape so as not to draw any more attention to the area.

“How was your trip here?” asked Maja.

“Not bad,” Victor said. “Apparated just outside of the forest. We walked a little of the way, since we arrived pretty early, but the last hour or so we flew. It’s such beautiful weather.”

“Yes,” she agreed. “No snow or rain, no clouds, perfect weather for brooms.”

“Oh we didn’t fly on brooms,” Victor corrected. “I rode on-“ his boyfriend elbowed him harshly “ow-on Vicchan.” He wasn’t sure if Yuuri feared Victor was about to admit he rode on Yuuri or if he wasn’t supposed to mentioned flying on either dragon.

“What?!” squealed Famela. “You can ride on him? Seriously? How?” Maja and Felix looked just as shocked.

“Ah, well, we just sort of…hop on and go,” Yuuri said. “Started when he was young and he doesn’t seem to mind.”

“Can I see? Can I try?”

“Uh, maybe later I can show you,” Yuuri said. “Once he’s a little more comfortable here. I don’t think he’d let you ride him though.” Victor was one thing, the dragon able to sense Yuuri’s trust and affection with him. He was still a little nervous with the Ahlberg’s, and feared Vicchan would be too. Best not to test it just yet.

Famela looked disappointed for a moment, but the smile was back in a second as she skipped after her parents, constantly glancing at Vicchan. “How old is he?” she asked, and before they could answer, “Does he breathe fire? Does he like water? Our Ridgeback isn’t fond of water. He is a Norwegian Ridgeback, right?”

Yuuri was still trying to get out the answer to her first question when Victor laughed and said, “We think he’s part Ridgeback and part Aqualis, assuming we have his parentage correct.” Both he and Yuuri had no way of knowing if he’d been laid by Azura. He didn’t look particularly like either of them, maybe closer to Verndari, but they had little information on what hatchlings from two species would look like. They had no way of asking, either, and the proud paternal waves from both dragons didn’t give any definitive answers, because Azura cooed equally as affectionately over Vicchan as she did all her other eggs and hatchlings she was raising in the nursery.

“An Aqualis?” asked Maja. “How rare!”

“Is she?” asked Yuuri. True, he’d never seen another one, but he hadn’t thought much of it. They only ever had a few of each kind, until their sudden influx of Opaleye.

“Super rare!” Famela agreed. “They’re notoriously hard to catch, thank goodness. One breed we don’t have to worry too much about. Unless you happen to find an egg, there’s no way you’re catching one alive. They fight to the death.” Poachers had caught on that the risk outweighed the reward. Either you died trying to catch it, or the dragon died in the fight, leaving you with no prize. “Which, unfortunately, makes them very hard to rescue in time too.”

Yuuri glanced at Victor. “Maybe we were right in thinking Azura was born in captivity then.”

“That, or caught very, very young,” Victor agreed. “Poor girl. I’m glad Verndari was with her.”

“Wait, back up,” Felix frowned. “Are you saying a Ridgeback and Aqualis are mates? As in a full egg laying pair and everything?”

“Ah, well, we’ve never _seen_ her lay an egg,” Yuuri admitted. “But they’re definitely mates. You can tell by how they interact. And even if she isn’t laying her own, she accepts hatchlings of any breed she’s at the hatching of.”

“That’s very odd,” Maja mused. “Our experience is so different here. Like we said, different breeds tend to avoid each other.”

“It’s normal to us,” Victor said. “All the females help out.”

“Some males too,” Yuuri said, patting Vicchan’s scales as he padded along next to him. “Vicchan likes to babysit, don’t you, boy?” Vicchan purred at the praise and flicked his tail happily.

Before Famela could bombard them with more questions Felix announced, “We’re here!” Before them looked like a solid wall of stone, nothing exceptional at all about the mountainside. As they watched, the Ahlberg’s walked forward, phasing through the stone easily. Maja stopped with just one leg through the stone, waving at them to follow with a smile.

Victor went first, disappearing into the mountain, and Yuuri tried to coax Vicchan into following. “Come on, Vicchan,” he said, tugging on his snout gently. “It’s okay. Follow me. You’ll be just fine.” It took a few moments to convince the dragon to attempt to walk head first into solid rock, but soon they were stepping through.

On the other side, things were a mad house.

It couldn’t have been more than thirty seconds between Victor and Yuuri arriving, but as soon as he and Vicchan stepped through they saw a large red dragon hissing and spitting purple, toxic drool at Victor as it did so. The wizard had a wand out and was deflecting the bits of bile as he carefully hopped on the grass, avoiding stepping in it as it steamed and scorched the grass. “Vitya!” Yuuri gasped.

“Pru!” Famela was calling over and over. “Down! Pru! Hey!” The dragon was clearly ignoring the Ahlberg’s, wings out at full length and poisonous fangs bared. Maja and Felix had their wands out as well, casting what Yuuri assumed to be gentle but nonetheless potent calming or sleeping spells. The bursts of lights ricocheted off the scales and did little to deter the dragon. “Pru!”

“Vitya, I’ll – wait, Vicchan!” Yuuri fumbled for his own wand as Vicchan raced by him to stand protectively in front of Victor, growling as he too spread his wings in a display of size and power, crouching low, and Yuuri knew he was planning to pounce. “Vicchan, come back!” While Vicchan had wrestled with plenty of dragons, none had ever been _really_ looking to attack.

Maja and Felix were discussing escalating to stronger spells to knock Pru out, and Famela looked horrified, pleading, “Don’t hurt her! She’s just protecting us!”

“It won’t hurt her, sweetheart,” Maja assured quickly. “Felix?” Her husband nodded, and in a panic Famela ran for her dragon. “Famela, get away from her!” The dragon was way too riled up to be safe around.

Convinced she could talk her down, Famela resumed calling, “Calm down, Pru, they’re friends!”

“Felix do something!” Maja cried as the raging dragons both turned to face the approaching witch, nerves on end and ready to strike whatever threat got too close.

Yuuri ran after her. “Vicchan, sit! Sit!” The brown dragon looked torn on obeying as usual and standing his ground before this new beast, never before faced with a truly aggressive foe. “It’s okay, just calm down! Tell Pru we’re friends!” While Famela paused a few yards from Pru, the toxic drool splattering too much for her to get any closer, Yuuri reached Vicchan’s side to firmly pat his scales. “It’s okay,” he repeated, shouting to be heard over their growls. He tried his best to send waves of _safe, friends, trust._ He looked at the spitting Viper, pushing the emotions towards it as well. _We aren’t here to hurt you_ , he thought, hoping it could understand.

Vicchan calmed first, looking wary about the situation but no longer growling and baring his fangs. After a few more moments and anxious stamping of his feet, he curled his wings into his side, stand less aggressive. _You’re safe_ , Yuuri thought. _I won’t let anyone hurt you. I wouldn’t bring you anywhere dangerous._ He could feel Vicchan relaxing, the stress seeping out of his aura. _Tell Pru we won’t hurt her._

A few yards from them Pru was still glaring at them, though she was no longer shrieking or spitting. She swayed slightly side to side, still ready to pounce, silently sizing them up. After another pat to Vicchan’s snout, Yuuri turned to look at the Viper. “It’s okay,” he repeated. “You were just protecting your family. We understand. You are a very good, loyal girl, aren’t you?” he praised. He pushed pride and admiration her way, hoping none of his tension or nerves showed through, and felt a spark of surprise at his reaction. Seizing this opportunity, he continued, saying, “We don’t want to hurt Famela. She’s our friend. We’d like to be your friend too. What do you think about that?”

Pru’s sharp claws picked at the dirt for a moment before she sat back on her haunches, looking critically at them. Famela chanced getting near, and though Pru’s head snapped her way at the movement, upon seeing Famela she didn’t attack. She let the witch close enough to touch. Famela looked shocked yet relieved at how quickly she’d settled down.

Yuuri took a few paces forward, and nearly everyone warned him to keep back. Stubborn, he continued, holding a hand out toward the Viper. He saw Pru’s nose twitch, then eyes widen, and she looked him over again as if seeing him for the first time. She leaned her snout forward, sniffing some more, and Yuuri stepped forward again.

“She’s poisonous,” Famela reminded him nervously.

“Yuuri,” Victor pleaded. “Be careful. I think she’s calmed down enough. Please come back over here.”

“Just a minute,” he said quietly, almost too softly to be heard. He felt suspicion rolling off the Viper, but also a spark of recognition and interest. She sniffed again, stretching enough that her snout met his hand, and she nosily grunted as she inspected his scent. He heard Victor whining about the toxic drool, and he was careful that none dripped on him as she took her time smelling him. Finally, she sat back on her haunches again, grunting in satisfaction. What conclusion she came to they weren’t quite sure, but it seemed to be at least temporary acceptance, for she turned to nuzzle against Famela, the witch quickly wiping at her snout with a charmed cloth to clean up the bile.

Yuuri squeaked when he was grabbed around the middle, Victor practically picking him up as he ushered Yuuri away from the distracted Viper. “Wha-? Vitya!”

“Are you crazy?” he wheezed. “You could have died!”

“I had it handled,” Yuuri said. “She’s no worse than Verndari when he gets in a mood.”

“She’s TOXIC,” Victor reminded him. “And she doesn’t know you like Verndari does.”

“If she had pounced I would have just…you know,” he said, not wanting to mention his dragon form in front of the others. “Defended myself. Luckily it didn’t come to that.”

Victor sighed in clear relief, but the Ahlberg’s were overwhelmed with curiosity now that everyone was safe.

“What was that?” asked Felix.

“I’ve never seen anyone calm her down like that!” Maja said. Even Famela had been having trouble. “How did you do that?”

“Um, I just…” Yuuri struggled with a way to explain it.

“Yuuri has a natural gift with dragons,” Victor said.

Felix snorted out a laugh. “Well clearly. But seriously. It’s like you could talk to her!”

“I can’t talk to dragons,” Yuuri assured them. “I just…have a way of getting my point across, I guess.”

They continued to ask questions as they walked further into the mountain, Pru trodding along by Famela’s side and occasionally shooting unimpressed glances toward Victor. The wizard decided to walk very, very close to Yuuri’s side. Vicchan, ever the playful one, had completely forgiven the rude first impression and was following at Pru’s side. He was much larger than her, and now that he wasn’t in a panicked frenzy for Victor’s safety, Yuuri took a good look at them. If it weren’t for the poison, Pru really wouldn’t stand a chance against a dragon Vicchan’s size. He was rather relieved neither dragon realized that yet.

“What would you like to see first?” asked Maja once they came to a split in the road, multiple dirt paths branching off from the main trail.

“Do you have an Aqualis?” asked Yuuri, having never seen one other than Azura.

“No,” Maja said, looking disappointed. “Like I said, they don’t do well in captivity. We did rescue one years ago but we had to immediately let her out to fend for herself, she was throwing herself against every wall in her cave, every barrier… Even the enclosures that allow them to come and go weren’t enough for her, she wanted nothing to do with us. Understandable, considering all she knew about humans she learned from some truly evil wizards.”

“Mm,” Yuuri hummed. “What do you have?”

She rattled off a list of dragons currently residing in the zoo, mentioning their state of rehabilitation and how long they’d been there. “Then there’s the Asian Red Pointer,” she said.

Both Victor and Yuuri perked up. “I’m not familiar with that one,” said Yuuri.

“Neither am I,” said Victor, and he had read many books on the subject.

“Could we go there first?” asked Yuuri. The Ahlberg’s nodded and lead the way down the far-right path.

“Pointer’s are fascinating,” Felix was saying. “They have multiple rows of teeth that replace each other when they break or fall out, similar to sharks, though there’s only two or three rows rather than seven.”

“That...sounds terrifying yet efficient,” said Victor. “Are they aggressive?”

“Definitely,” nodded Maja. “It attacks anything that enters its enclosure, and usually eats it as well. For a dragon so long and slender, it sure has an appetite.”

“Is it like a Wyrm?” asked Yuuri, imagining Libelle back home.

“Similar,” Felix agreed. “It’s wingless like a Wyrm, but it does have legs.”

“Don’t forget the antlers,” Famela said. “I think that is it’s most striking feature. I mean, other than it’s beautiful fur.”

“Fur?” asked Yuuri and Victor as they approached the end of the path, leaving them at a grassy plain with an indent running in both directions through the grass. “This is the perimeter,” she explained, just like with Chris and Masumi. She held her hand in the air against an invisible barrier, muttered an incantation, and her hand glowed pink for a moment before an arch appeared. “Follow me.” She led the group in, and once all passed under the arch, she pressed her hand up again and the arch disappeared. “He’s normally not hard to find,” she said. “He’ll come running when he senses us in here. Have your wands out, you’ll want to Disillusion yourself so he doesn’t attack you.”

Following her instructions, Yuuri and Victor pulled their wants out and cloaked themselves with the charm, the Ahlberg’s following suit. Maja conjured a few deer, assuring them it wouldn’t take long for the Pointer to hear or smell them and come charging. Sure enough, within minutes they heard a roar and the sound of a large beast running through the trees on the other side of the grass.

In moments a long, thin dragon burst out of the tree line, sending the deer scattering in all directions. The dragon was a deep magenta color in its scales, with a lighter pink mane running from it’s head down it’s back to its tail, with sleek, black antlers by its ears. Wispy whiskers sprouted from its almost doglike snout, with a matching short beard as well. The dragon sprinted effortlessly after a deer, catching it with its razor like fangs and easily bringing it down to the ground. Yuuri wasn’t sure the poor thing was even dead before the dragon began tearing off bits of flesh and swallowing it down. For such a beautiful specimen it sure was ruthless.

Victor and Yuuri looked wide-eyed from the dragon to each other, Yuuri speechless as Victor faintly asked, “Is that…Iggi?”

* * *

This is kinda how I picture Iggi, only he is pink with black antlers. He's hot pink now but the colors will mellow out as he grows. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yikes!


	22. Asian Red Pointer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We spend a short time with the Asian Red Pointer, aka a big Iggi!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Valentines Day!   
> My last day working in Alabama was Friday! I drove up Sat/Sun, had to stop in Kentucky and spend the night because the cats can't do the whole drive in one go. They were perfect angels and were quiet the whole 12 hours! Just snoozed in our laps the whole time. So now I am home in Detroit and start at this hotel on Wednesday. Super excited to be back in Michigan!! So thankful my company finally agreed to transfer me home.

Victor, Yuuri and the Ahlberg's watched the Asian Red Pointer make quick work of its breakfast. "...Two rows of teeth, you said?" asked Victor weakly. 

Felix nodded. "Yep. Perfect for tearing into its prey. Textbook case of beautiful but deadly if you ask me." 

The dragon before them was long and lean, more serpentine than anything they'd ever seen other than Libelle. Yuuri's mind went to Iggi, still so small, and tried to reconcile that with what he was seeing. The size and coloring were different, true, but the distinctive mane was clearly a unique feature they shared. Iggi had little black stumps behind his ears they assumed would grow to be horns, but it was entirely possible they could be more like the antlers on this dragon. His pot pink scales could mellow out as he grew, it was common for shades to change through adolescent years.

Yuuri glanced from Victor back to the dragon licking its lips, having left little of the antelope behind. …They were sharing a bed with this kind of dragon?! Suddenly all his jokes of Iggi eating them one of these days wasn’t so funny, he thought, thinking of all the times their youngest nibbled and nipped at them. _Was he actually trying to eat us?!_

Felix was still prattling on with various Pointer facts. “They tend to live in groups, though we only have the one. We found this one injured and tried to introduce it to a pack we’d seen roaming near Hong Kong years ago, but they didn’t accept it so we brought it back with us. You have to be born into the group it seems.”

Victor nodded, though no one could tell due to the Disillusionment charm. “Well if Iggi wants a large family, at least we have that covered.”

“Vitya,” Yuuri said, reaching out blindly to feel for his arm. “Do you really think this is what Iggi is?”

“Have you ever seen another breed with that mane?” he asked.

“…No,” Yuuri admitted.

Maja chimed in, asking, “Isn’t Iggi the little pink one who interrupted our first call?”

“Yes,” said Yuuri.

“Whoa,” gasped Famela. “The one you’re raising yourselves? At home?!” She still hadn’t forgotten that argument, though debating that particular topic was set aside for sheer shock. “Are you crazy?!”

“Well,” started Yuuri, unsure what to say. “He’s so sweet and small… There didn’t seem to be much of a difference between him and the Opaleye…”

Victor laughed awkwardly. “Except he does tend to bite a little more. And he’s constantly eating.”

“Oh yes,” Felix nodded. “Pointers are ravenous. They have an exceptionally fast metabolism that requires a lot of calories to fuel it.”

“Huh,” is all Victor had to say to that.

The dragon before them meandered through the grass, sniffing idly at the scent of the antelope that had bolted and probably considering whether it felt like pursuing them now or wait until lunch. They watched it as it stretched it’s long, lean body, then it appeared to snap to attention, freezing for a moment before it’s head whipped toward them.

The witches and wizards gasped, all reflexively looking down at themselves to ensure they were still hidden by the charm, and yes, they were not visible. The dragon tilted its head in confusion, turning so that its whole body faced them, and then took a few steps in their direction.

“Do we Apparate?” asked Famela.

“Just stay very still,” suggested Maja. “It can’t see us.”

“I don’t think Apparating is a terrible idea,” Victor said.

“Just a second,” Yuuri insisted, adding quietly just for Victor, “I want to see what it does.”

The Pointer continued to stare at them for several minutes, looking around now and then for the source of whatever it smelled, but always coming back to look at them. Yuuri felt it was even looking right at him specifically. It came a little closer, and if he weren’t invisible Yuuri would have sworn they made eye contact. _Hello_ , he thought. _Do you smell me? Do you sense me?_

A spike of surprise followed by intrigue. Yuuri thought he felt a little suspicion as well. Maybe it was just confusion. _It’s okay. I’m one of you, kind of._ Yuuri wished Vicchan were with him now, but they had left the brown dragon outside the exhibit just in case the Pointer wasn’t feeling company. Even if they cast the charm on Vicchan, it would have been impossible to keep him from jumping on a new friend and looking to play. The Pointer snorted, as if not quite convinced it was dealing with a fellow dragon, though not ruling it out altogether.

“What’s it saying?” whispered Victor. No matter how many times Yuuri explained he wasn’t having conversations with the dragons, Victor still asked for a translation so as not to be left out. It always made Yuuri chuckle.

Yuuri glanced at the Ahlberg’s before answering quietly. “It’s not sure what to think,” he said. “Maybe if it saw me-“

“Nope,” said Victor quickly. “Too early for that. You saw what it did to the antelope.”

“Look how well Pru calmed down,” Yuuri argued.

“Pru is comfortable with humans. The Pointer isn’t.”

“We don’t know that. Maybe they just haven’t interacted with him enough.” Yuuri took a step away from Victor, asking the other family, “How much human interaction has he had?”

“Not a lot,” admitted Felix. “He’s very aggressive. For the most part we only appear to feed him, and we usually do it cloaked like now. We’ve tried to release him to that pack, like we said, but other than that we leave him be.”

“So he doesn’t have a lot of positive human experiences in his life,” Yuuri concluded. “Only capture and relocation.” At the offended scoffs he heard he quickly added, “I don’t mean to sound judgmental. If I were in your shoes I might have done the same.” It was safer to feed him and leave him alone. “But he isn’t going to warm to us if he never sees us.”

“Day one is not the time,” Victor frowned.

Yuuri sighed. “I thought you would support me on this. I thought I’d be having to hold you back from hugging every dragon we saw.”

Victor frowned harder. “I do support you. I just don’t want you to get hurt, Yuuri.”

There was a slightly awkward silence as they all stood there, invisible and unsure what to do next. “…Alright,” Yuuri sighed. “I won’t banish the charm yet. Just give me a few minutes with him.”

“What do you plan on doing?” asked Famela. If the dragon couldn’t see him, what else would get him used to wizards?

Yuuri wasn’t sure how to answer, so he didn’t. The silence returned, the group watching the dragon pace around, still looking like it wasn’t sure _what_ it was searching for, but knew it was close. Yuuri tried to focus his thoughts to _here I am_ and _we come in peace_. The dragon’s head swiveled around to face them again, nostrils flaring slightly as it tried to pinpoint the scent. _Are you alright?_ he tried to push. _There’s no reason to be nervous._

The dragon seemed agitated, and Yuuri wondered if it was because of the mystery beast it was sensing. Yuuri imagined how he felt at home in Yu-Topia, and tried to share the feelings of _safe_ and _secure_ and _family_. Unlike with Pru, the dragon before him didn’t seem too receptive. He felt _indifference_ , maybe _disbelief._ The dragon was skeptical of this ghostly presence trying to lure it in with warm and fuzzy promises of security. The only thing Yuuri was getting loud and clear was _I know better_.

Yuuri, too caught up with the urge to prove himself to the dragon, went against his better judgement – and no doubt Victor’s wishes – and banished the Disillusionment Charm before he could think twice. It was mere seconds, but it seemed to happen in slow motion for him. Victor had just enough time to grasp that Yuuri was visible, gasp, and grab him before the Asian Red Pointer’s jaws were snapping shut where they had just been, Victor Disapparating them outside of the enclosure and back to Vicchan’s side.

Yuuri hadn’t even had time to blink or breathe.

“Yuuri!” Victor wheezed, heart racing as he still clung to his boyfriend that he just transported. “Wha…?” He was still too shocked to form words. Also visible once again, he ignored the happy purr of Vicchan beside them and kept looking at Yuuri. “What was that? What were you thinking?”

“I-It didn’t like not knowing who it was communicating with!” he tried to explain. “I thought if it saw me it would relax.”

“It did the opposite of relax,” Victor said, frustrated beyond belief. “It tried to eat you! You said you’d stay invisible!”

“I forgot,” is the only defense he had. He’d been so caught up in the moment. Victor looked incredulous. Yuuri, once the adrenaline of almost being bitten drained from his system, just felt disappointed. “Why didn’t it talk to me?” he asked. “Why didn’t it settle down?” Every dragon he’d ever talked to before calmed once he spoke to them.

“I don’t know,” said Victor. “Maybe it was just hungry.”

Yuuri couldn’t help feeling he failed. Dragons _always_ responded well to him before. Was Pru just a fluke? Would none of these dragons work with him? “I want to try again,” he said. “But as a sui riu, not a human.”

“You want to tell the Ahlberg’s about being an animagus?” asked Victor, wondering when the family would appear by their sides. Surely they saw Yuuri appear for a moment and the dragon snap at them.

“No,” Yuuri said. “I want to come back tonight, just you and me. There’s something bothering this dragon, and it won’t talk to humans, not even me.” Maybe as a dragon he could gain some trust.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yikes! That was a close one!


End file.
